Into the Real World
by cartchica89
Summary: Sequel to Safe in the Arms of Love. It's been seven months since the trial ended and Frank was proven guilty. Sam feels safe at home but how will he handle high school and the rest of the real world?
1. Chapter 1

So here it is, the sequel to Safe in the Arms of Love. It would probably be helpful if you read that one first but I'm not sure if it's absolutely necessary. Basically, what's happend so far is 16 year old Sam Logan shows up at Dean's shop one day after being beaten and raped daily for the past four years. He and Dean form a bond and Sam ends up living with Dean after Dean gains custody of Sam. Frank, Sam's abuser was put on trial and is now in jail while Sam tries to pick up the pieces and move on with his life. This story will contain mentions of Sam's rape and the abuse.

I want to send out a big thank you in advance to everyone who reads this story and also to those of you who send me a review! I hope you all enjoy it. Please let me know what you thought of it and I'll hopefully have the next part up relatively soon. :)

* * *

"Alright, you sure you want to do this?" Dean asked as he made sure Sam was comfortable for the night. "Because you know if you're not ready, it's okay with me."

Sam nodded. "I'll be okay." _I hope._ "Ace is here and I know you're just down the hall." He replied suppressing a yawn. Since his nightmares had decreased in frequency and intensity, he wanted to see if he could manage a night on his own.

Dean was proud as he finished 'tucking' Sam in. He was glad that the kid was continuing to gain more confidence in himself and his abilities and that Frank no longer controlled how Sam felt on a daily basis. He was also happy that Sam felt safe enough to be on his own for a few hours. "Okay, sweet dreams Sammy. I'll see you in the morning." Dean said flipping off the light hoping that Sam got a good night sleep, knowing he'd need it.

"Night Dean." Sam mumbled, quickly falling asleep dreaming about the more enjoyable times in his life.

_Sam, Dean and Ace were walking back from fishing at the river. Today was Sam's seventeenth birthday and it was easily the best one yet. They'd spent the entire weekend camping, just as Sam had asked to do and had one more day left in their trip._

_"You having a good day so far?" Dean asked as he carried his and Sam's fishing poles. They hadn't caught anything today but that was fine with Dean. He knew they weren't going to starve._

_Sam smiled and nodded. "Yeah… wow… Dean, what happened to our camp site?" Sam asked as he looked around in shock at the different decorations that weren't there when they left._

_"What do you mean?" Dean asked, playing dumb as Sean, James and a few other friends walked over. "It looks fine to me." Mike was barbequing and the smell of it made Dean's stomach growl._

_James walked over to Sam and smiled a little. The two had met only a handful of times before but they got along and there was something about James that put Sam at ease. James was also patient with Sam which Dean knew from experience wasn't necessarily an easy thing to be. Dean had been very happy to find out that James and Sam were going to be attending the same school and he hoped that having James there would make the transition easier for Sam._

_"Happy birthday kid." Dean said patting Sam on the back. "C'mon, dinner's ready." Dean said nudging Sam toward the group._

_After everyone had gotten their fill of barbequed hamburgers and hotdogs, it was time for presents and cake. Sam got mostly movies, books and clothes but there was a special one Dean was saving for last. "Thanks… this um, these mean a lot." Sam said looking at the pile of presents in front of him. It wasn't the actual gifts that had meant so much to him but the thought behind them. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been given a birthday gift that didn't include him needing his birthday suit._

_"Wait, we're not quite done yet." Dean said motioning to Sean who turned around and disappeared down the dirt path._

_"What do you mean?" He asked confused. Just then a car started up and the sound of crunching gravel came from nearby. A few moments later, a black Ford Explorer pulled into the campsite._

_"Wow." James said in admiration of the shiny, new car. Unlike Sam, James was a total car buff and had tried to get Dean to hand over the keys to the Impala more than once._

_Sam looked at Dean questioningly who nodded. Still in a state of shock, he got up and examined the car closer._

_"Dude, you so have to take me for a ride in that thing." James said joining Sam. "It's sweet!"_

_"How'd, how'd you… I thought it was a customer's?" Sam asked._

_"It was, now, it's yours. The guy told me after I fixed it up he was going to sell it so I bought it from him. You like it?" Dean asked already knowing the answer. Even though Sam wasn't into cars the way Dean was, he'd seen Sam taking several peaks inside it and knew the kid wanted it but like everything else, Sam would never ask for it._

_Sam nodded as he opened the driver side door and climbed in admiring the leather seats and steering wheel as well as the brand new CD player. Dean opened the rear passenger door and Ace jumped up into the seat while James climbed in beside Sam. "You wanna trade brothers?" He asked his voice full of jealousy._

_Sam smiled as he shook his head no. _

"Morning sleepyhead." Dean said walking into Sam's room and brushing the bangs off Sam's forehead. Ace jumped down and ran out to the kitchen, eager for his breakfast.

"Time already?" Sam asked his stomach suddenly full of butterflies. Today was supposed to be his first day of high school.

"Yup, c'mon, you don't want to be late." Dean said. "I've got breakfast going so get dressed and then come out alright."

Sam nodded but didn't move for several minutes after.

Dean had just served up two plates of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast when Sam came walking into the kitchen wearing a pair of dark jeans, his sneakers and one of Dean's sweatshirts. _Damn it_ Dean thought as he saw the sweatshirt on Sam. He had hoped that Sam would have more confidence than that by now. He hoped this wasn't going to be one step forward and two steps back.

He watched as Sam mostly picked at his plate, too nervous to be able to eat. Dean looked at the clock and saw that it was a little after seven forty. "We should go. You want to drive?" He asked putting his dish in the sink.

Sam shook his head no and made no move to get up from the table.

"Sammy," Dean walked over and kneeled down in front of him.

"Dean, I'm scared… can't we wait, please. Just one more day?" He begged.

Dean reached up and gently grasped Sam's hand in his. He knew that he couldn't allow Sam to wait. If he didn't go today then he would just ask to wait again tomorrow and it would become a harmful routine. "You can do this kiddo, you can. I know it seems scary but think about everything else we've been through. This is nothing." Sam looked away. "I promise if it gets to be too much then you can call me and I'll come get you. And kid, James and Mike are going to be there. You're not going to be alone." He reassured.

After a moment Sam wiped his hand across his eyes and got up, picking his backpack up off the couch. "Bye Ace, I'll see you in a few hours." Sam said quietly.

Sam stared at his feet the entire way to the high school. Dean pulled into the back parking lot and killed the engine. "You'll be fine okay, I know you will." He smiled a little.

Sam looked up with a doubtful expression on his face and opened the door, grabbing his backpack from the back seat.

"Hey Sammy," Dean called. "Have a great day okay, I'll see you later."

Sam nodded and slung his backpack over his shoulders. "Bye Dean." He muttered as he watched Dean drive away. He fought back the tears and wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans before pulling out his schedule. _History, right, he had history first_ He thought as he tried to remember where that room was. A few days ago, he and Dean had come to the high school after Sam had gotten his schedule and found each of Sam's classes, in an effort to make it a bit easier on him.

Swallowing down the urge to go chase after the Impala, Sam began to walk towards room 604. He was grateful that he found it rather quickly and was very happy to see that besides the teacher, he was the rooms' only occupant. "Hello." The older man said.

DW/SW

Dean sighed as he drove away. He hoped today went okay and that Sam wasn't too self-conscious or hard on himself. He'd asked Mike to watch out for the kid and knew that he would but he was still nervous hoping that nothing happened today to end up in a major setback.

Sam had made so much progress in the last couple of months and Dean was beyond proud of him. Ever since he let go of the guilt and actually forgave himself for the past, he'd become more confidant. He still had days where he was insecure and wanted nothing more than to hide out at home and avoid any and all social contact. He still hated talking to strangers but Dean could see a change in him. He smiled more and although this only happened at home, Sam often voiced his opinion and Dean was always happy to hear the kid thinking for himself.

They had also set up a routine in the past couple of months and it helped to offer Sam a sense of structure and security, unlike anything he'd ever known before. Both Sam and Dean usually woke up a little before seven, had breakfast and on the weekends took Ace for a walk in the mornings. In the evenings, Sam would often work out on his punching bag, allowing him to deal with what he wanted when he wanted to. If there were any lingering issues that were still bugging Sam, he would then go to Dean and most of the time, they would be resolved.

"Hey," Sean smiled when he saw Dean walk into the shop.

Dean acknowledged him with a nod.

"Where's Sam… oh, right…" Sean replied. "How was he?"

"Nervous. He asked not to go, do you think I made a mistake in making him go today?" He asked nervously, doubting himself.

Sean shook his head no. "He's got to start sometime right?"

"Yeah…" Dean drifted off, staring at the clock wishing that it was three instead of just after eight.

"He'll be fine." Sean reassured.

DW/SW

It was official. Sam hated school and was in a rotten mood by the time the bell rang. History class had just ended and was now Sam's most hated subject. His seat was smack dab in the middle of the class and Sam felt as though everyone was glaring at him as he tried to pay attention only to find it damn near impossible. He kept his hands in the pocket of Dean's sweatshirt, nervously wringing them constantly and trying as hard as he could not to break down in tears, screaming for his big brother. The fact that he had math, his hardest subject next made his morning even worse. _Room 304 304 304_ Sam kept reminding himself, determined not to get lost on his first day.

Wandering through the halls alone made Sam feel like a total fish out of water. As he saw all the groups of friends together, eagerly chatting about their summers, he missed Dean more than ever. Dean was easily his best friend and the most important person in his life. He felt so alone and knew that if anyone ever found out about Frank, none of them would ever talk to him again. _They probably already do know, that's why everyone is avoiding you_ he thought fighting back tears. He knew James was around somewhere but he hadn't found him yet and he wasn't even sure that James would want to hang out with him… not in public. He was beyond relieved to find his teacher, Ms. Terly alone in the room.

"Hi there," She smiled kindly when Sam walked into the room. "I'm Ms. Terly but you know that."

"Hi." He whispered in a shaky voice.

"I don't have a seating chart so you can sit wherever you like." She said continuing to stack papers.

Sam quietly walked to the very last desk and slumped down in it.

"Are you new here?" Ms. Terly asked after a few minutes.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I… I um… I live with my brother." He answered.

"Does your brother go here?" She asked wondering if she'd ever had his brother in one of her classes.

"No, he graduated a few years ago." Sam explained.

Ms. Terly was about to ask who his brother was but the bell rang and the room quickly filled up. After everyone had taken their seats, she began to explain class protocol all the while noticing how freaked out Sam looked the entire period. It was obvious this was his first day.

Forty-five minutes later, the bell rang signaling that class was over and it was time for break. Sam waited until everyone left before even beginning to move from his spot. "Bye Sam, I'll see you tomorrow." Ms. Terly smiled kindly as Sam whispered a goodbye.

After fifteen agonizingly long minutes, Sam headed towards the art room where he would have ceramics. His teacher Mrs. Heatherly was standing at the back of the room talking to a group of students so Sam quietly made his way over to a stool and sat down. After the bell rang, she explained how first they were going to make things out of clay using just their hands and then once they had gained some experience, they could move to the wheel if they wished to.

Sam looked at his schedule and saw he had P.E. next. The thought of locker rooms and having to change in front of his classmates made Sam want to cry. It was already awkward but this was going to be torture. They'd see his scars and know for sure what he'd done.

Once the bell had rung, Sam started walking to the large gym feeling as if he was on his death march. He got to the gym and found that it was already pretty crowded. _Great!_ He scowled. He walked towards the bleachers with his head down and had just sat down when he heard someone calling his name. At first he ignored them, hoping they would just leave him alone but the voice came closer until someone was sitting next to him. "Hey," James smiled.

Sam managed to muster a small smile but shortly after returned his attention to the shiny wooden floor trying to picture himself anywhere else.

"Alright, listen up class, my name's Mr. Martin and I'll be your teacher. This is a P.E. class so we will be doing actual exercise in here and I don't want to hear any complaints." The blonde haired man started.

"Mark said he's tough." James whispered.

Sam nodded while trying hard not to feel intimidated. His past P.E. classes were not good memories. He had always been chosen last and growing up, he was by far the smallest kid causing everyone else to think of him as weak. He bit his lip and sat on his hands trying to get rid of the shaking that was coursing through him. He wanted Dean so badly right then that it was actually painful.

Mr. Martin clapped to get everyone's attention and continued with his first day speech. "Today we'll be going over what I expect from each of you and then we'll assign you to a uniform and a locker." He continued as several girls groaned at the thought of having to wear uniforms. "First off, I have these forms that I need each of you to take home and have your parents sign." He said handing a stack to the girl sitting closest to him. "Please take one and pass it back. Okay, next on the agenda are my expectations. Now, I know summer just ended and more than likely you guys were a bit of couch potatoes but that's about to change. We'll be doing one sport for four weeks at a time as well as running every week. If you have any issues that might prevent you from participating please let me know ahead of time and we'll figure out an alternative activity. Now, I want you to form a single file line in alphabetical order. A's over here and z's on the other side of the gym. Go." He ordered and a minute later there was a flurry of activity as students rushed to get in line.

Hesitantly, Sam followed James to the back of the line and waited to get his uniform and locker number.

_Oh god, please don't make me go through this, please. I just want to go home._ Sam's mind screamed as he walked into the boy's locker room. His palms were sweaty and he felt as if he might pass out. He felt as if everyone was staring at him and he did not like the thought of having to undress in front of strangers. Ever since he'd escaped from Frank, no one, including Dean, had ever seen him without his shirt on. He walked down the aisles trying to find his locker number and was relieved when it was in the back of the room in a corner. At least here he'd have a little privacy.

"Hey Sam, do you want to eat with me today?" James asked as the lunch bell rang.

Sam was shocked. Even though he and James talked and generally got along, he didn't think James would want to be seen with him so the invitation was surprising. After a moment, he nodded.

"Great, let's go. Hey, where's your locker? Do you need to get anything from it?" James asked knowing how shy Sam could be.

Sam shook his head no. He hadn't even picked one out yet.

"Oh okay, c'mon. Cafeteria's this way." James said leading the way. "Hey guys, this is Sam. He's gonna eat with us. Sam, meet the guys. That's Andy, Ryan, Alex and Bobby."

Not wanting to be rude but at the same time wanting to hide underneath the nearest rock, Sam offered them a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Did you bring your lunch or are you buying?" James asked checking his wallet to see how much money he had.

Sam pulled out the brown paper bag and unfolded the foil around his sandwich.

"Oh, okay, I'll be back in a sec. Who else is buying?" James asked.

Alex and Ryan joined James and then the three were off to buy their lunches. Sam sat at the table feeling as if he didn't belong. He desperately wanted to go home and just curl up underneath the covers and hide. He knew Dean had said to call him if he needed to but he didn't want to look like a baby so he stayed where he was.

James, Alex and Ryan returned a few minutes later with a turkey sandwich, a soda and three chocolate chip cookies each. Sam sat off to the side, listening to the conversations between the five other boys. Half an hour later, the bell rang signaling the end of lunch.

"Which way are you going?" Bobby asked Ryan.

"I got English next." Ryan answered.

"With who?" Sam asked quietly, hoping Ryan had Mike.

"Ah… Mr. McNearny, why do you have it next too?" Ryan asked.

Sam nodded.

"Cool, let's go." Sam slung his backpack on and followed Ryan to Mike's room.

"Oh hey Sam," Mike smiled when Sam walked into the classroom.

"Hi Mike." Sam answered happy to be around someone he knew and trusted.

"First name basis with the teacher hunh?" Ryan teased light-heartedly.

"He's best friends with my brother." Sam explained defensively.

"Oh right… Dean, he owns the body shop right?" He asked remembering what James had told them about Sam.

Sam nodded and sat back in his seat waiting for the bell to ring feeling a little bit more at ease with Mike around.

Mike waited until everyone settled down and then began the usual first day of school business. He kept a discreet eye on Sam the entire time, watching how it was clear he was trying to pay attention but also very, very self-conscious. He didn't know if he picked up on Sam's behavior because he was used to the kid or if Sam was just being blatantly shy.

Sam's next class was earth science. He said bye to Ryan and then made his way to the back of school towards the science building. His teacher was Mr. Andrews, a wiry middle aged man with a major bald spot and a mustache. "The seating chart's up here." He said when Sam, along with a few other students walked in. Sam headed over to the front of the class and saw that his seat was at one of the high tables off to the side of the room. He set his backpack down and took out his binder, waiting for class to start.

"Hi," A girl with brown hair that was tied up in a messy ponytail and friendly green eyes said. "I'm Kate." She said pushing her glasses up on her nose a little.

Sam felt his hands begin to tremble and quickly stuffed them into his jacket pockets. He took a breath and tried to control his stuttering. "Sam." He said in a quiet voice.

She smiled and then proceeded to take out the necessary supplies. Mr. Andrews then passed out a paper that had a bunch of boxes on it. The goal of the assignment was to be the first student to have a name in every box. "Do you want me to sign yours?" Kate asked.

Sam nodded and handed her his paper.

"Do you want to sign mine?" She asked.

"Okay." Sam replied taking a look at the boxes. He ended up signing the one that said he went camping this past summer.

"Thanks." Kate hopped off the stool and began to walk around the classroom.

Sam looked down at his paper and saw the initials KJ in the box that said she was the oldest child in her family. Too nervous to approach anyone, Sam remained in his seat and waited for people to come to him.

Sam felt like he could breathe again when the bell rang and he hurriedly made it to his last class of the day, study skills. He walked into the mostly empty room. His teacher, Mr. Pezino, was standing over by the whiteboard. "Oh hi, I'm Mr. Pezino but you can call me Pez." The older man said.

Sam set his backpack down on one of the tables. Sam soon found out that this was his smallest class with only five other students in it, most of which were in his grade. He also realized that this was basically his free period to do what he wanted or needed to get done for his other classes. Sam didn't bother to say goodbye and then rushed out to the front of the school. He was relieved to see the slick black machine waiting for him at the curb.

"Hey kiddo," Dean smiled happy to see that Sam at least appeared to be okay but as he got a closer look, he saw the tremble to Sam's hands and grew concerned but before he could ask what was wrong, Sam turned to him with tear filled eyes.

"Can't we just go home, please Dean?" Sam practically begged.

"Yeah kiddo, we'll go home." Dean said turning out of the parking lot hoping that he could undo whatever damage had been done.

* * *

Okay, so there it is. I hope you enjoyed it and I look forward to hearing from you and remember constructive critism is always welcome. Hope you enjoyed it! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Hi guys, sorry this one took so long... work's crazy right now. Anyways, thanks for all the reviews for Ch. 1. I'm glad you guys are enjoying the sequel so much and I hope you like this chapter as well. It's kind of on the shorter side but I hope you enjoy it none the less. Please let me know what you think. Thanks! :)

* * *

Sam hurried to the locker rooms and entered through the back door, the one closest to his own locker. He took a breath. _It's okay, they can't see anything_ he reminded himself. _Yeah, not yet but wait until you take off your shirt... hell, you might even gross a few guys out. _Sam fought back the tears and tried to focus on opening his lock, it was no luck. His hands were too shaky. _Calm down Sam, you don't want to be late… again_. He told himself.

By the time most of his classmates were already dressed and heading for the gym, Sam had finally managed to pop open the lock. "Hey, oh… um, do you want me to wait?" James asked when he saw that Sam hadn't even changed yet.

_Don't make him late too_ Sam chided. "No, no, it's okay. I'll catch up with you." He answered.

"Alright, see ya in class." James said before taking off.

Sam breathed a sigh of relief once he was finally alone and managed to change into his P.E. clothes without hassle. He walked into the gym feeling very self-conscious. Mr. Martin had already called roll and now they were doing stretches. _Great, just great_ he thought as he walked with his head down to his spot in the back.

"Okay class, listen up." He said after the stretches were done. "Today, we're going to be playing Capture the Flag. I'll pick the team captains." Mr. Martin chose Zack Taylor and Ryan Peterson. "Okay, Zack you choose first."

"Ah, I'll take Chris." He answered.

"And I'll take Frankie." Ryan replied.

And for the next several minutes each boy chose a fellow class member until there was only one left… Sam. "Fine, I guess I get Winchester." Ryan sighed, obviously unhappy with the outcome.

Sam hung his head and walked to join his team. James was on the opposite one, _this is gonna be fun_ Sam thought sarcastically.

DW/SW

Mr. Martin blew his whistle. "All right class, last round." He called.

"Don't screw up this time." A guy on Sam's team practically growled.

"Sorry." Sam said quietly. He didn't mean to keep letting other people through, it was just that he was nervous which made his hands sweaty making it a bit hard to grab people's flags.

"Yeah whatever," The kid said turning his attention back to the game.

Ten minutes later, Mr. Martin blew his whistle again and called for everybody to hit the showers. The score was 2-7, with Sam's team being the losing one. "Hey, nice fumble there Winchester." Ryan said shoving Sam as he walked past him.

Sam looked at him briefly before turning his attention to the floor.

"Don't say sorry," James said knowing that Sam was quick to apologize, even when he hadn't actually done anything wrong. He glared at Ryan and flipped him off.

"Ah, nice to know at least one person doesn't think Winchester's a freaking looser." He replied. "But seriously, how much are you getting you paid to hang out with him?"

James ignored him and walked to his own locker which was in the aisle in front of Sam's. Sam wiped his eyes and hurriedly changed back into his sweat shirt and jeans. "Dude, aren't you hot in that?" James asked when he saw Sam wearing the sweat shirt.

"No, I'm okay." Sam answered.

"So, you eating with me today?" James asked as the two of them walked toward the cafeteria.

"I eat with you everyday." Sam replied. "Well, except for when I have you know…"

DW/SW

"Hey, how was school?" Dean asked when Sam got in the car.

"Fine, nothing unusual happened." He answered wanting to get home as quickly as possible. He hadn't told Dean about the bullies or Mr. Martin and wanted to keep it that way. He didn't want Dean to get angry or for his big brother to see him as weak.

"You okay, you're awfully quiet today." Dean noticed when Sam didn't elaborate about his day. Normally, Sam wouldn't stop talking about what he learned in science or what he made in ceramics.

"Hunh… oh, yeah, I'm okay." Sam replied. "Just um, kind of been a long day but um, do you think we could take Ace for a run when we get home?" He asked. _I doubt you'll be able to keep up with him._

"Sure," Dean said pulling into their driveway a few minutes later.

Sam set his back pack down on his bed and then grabbed Ace's leash from the pantry. "You wanna go now?" Dean asked surprised.

Sam nodded.

"Okay, just let me go change alright." Dean shook his head and walked down the hall. Something was definitely off with Sam today. He seemed deflated.

They ended up going for a half-mile run around the park and Sam found he could keep up with Dean. He didn't know if Dean was slowing his pace or if he, himself, was actually capable of running.

"Alright, let's head home kiddo." Dean said after they'd finished two extra laps at Sam's insistence.

"Okay but we have to come back tomorrow alright." Sam pleaded.

"We'll see." Dean replied.

When they got home, Dean hopped into the shower. He emerged about twenty minutes later, surprised to find Sam working out on his punching bag. _Wasn't the kid tired yet_?

DW/SW

"Sam, can I talk to you for a few minutes?" Mr. Martin called as the rest of the class headed back towards the locker rooms.

"I'll wait for you." James said causing Sam to smile a little. At least someone in this class liked him.

"Yes Mr. M?" Sam asked walking up to his teacher.

"I know we've had this talk before Sam and you told me you'd try harder but so far I'm not seeing any proof." Mr. Martin started.

"I'm sorry sir." Sam replied, his eyes downcast.

"I know Sam, that's what you said last time." Mr. Martin sighed. "You know what this means."

Sam nodded.

"Go get changed then I'll meet you in my office." He said before stalking off to his office.

Sam gulped down his emotions and headed to the locker rooms, unsurprised to find James waiting for him. Sam shook his head and James shrugged. "Guess I'll see you later then." He said before leaving.

Once alone, Sam hurried to his locker and quickly stripped out of his P.E. uniform. Even though he was the only person in the room, he didn't want to risk the chance of anyone seeing his back and chest. It would just be too embarrassing and too many painful questions. He closed his eyes and took a deep breathe trying to calm himself down.

He stuffed his clothes into his backpack so he could take them home and have Dean wash them and then headed to Mr. Martin's office. Mr. Martin nodded and then went back to his work so Sam took a seat in one of the empty chairs and started to eat his lunch.

After a few minutes, Mr. Martin sighed and turned his computer off. "Sam, I know you're Dean's little brother." He started.

Sam grew confused. _What does that have to do with anything _he wondered.

"And I know Dean's an athletic guy. I mean, he was the quarter back of our football team… I would think you'd at least have one athletic bone in your body and yet you're one of the least athletic kids in the class." He explained. "I mean, if I could see that you were trying, which you're not by the way, it would be one thing but this just a snot-nosed brat being lazy."

Sam didn't know what to say so he just sat there.

"And it's not just that, you're tardy, almost every day. Can I ask why?" He asked.

Sam opened his mouth to try to explain.

"I was kidding Sam. I don't really care what your excuse is this time. I'm sick of your excuses. Do you remember what I told you in the beginning of the year?" He asked.

Sam nodded.

"And what was that Sam?" Mr. Martin asked with contempt in his voice.

"That um… that this was a P.E. class and so we um… we… we had to do actual work." Sam replied quietly.

"And have you done any work?" He asked.

"I've… I've tried." Sam answered.

"You have?" Mr. Martin asked pretending to be surprised. "Let's take a look here, shall we?" He said pulling up Sam's file, the one containing his lap times and other statistics. "Can you read that for me?"

Sam nodded. "15:23" Sam answered.

"And what about this one?" He asked.

"16:20" Sam said quietly.

"You're not trying Sam which means you're not showing me or your classmates any respect and until you do decide to show us respect, well, you're not going to get any in return, got it?" He asked leaning close to Sam, spotting how wet Sam's eyes were. "Oh, what did I hurt your feelings?"

Sam sniffled.

"I don't fucking care, now get out of my office!" He yelled.

Sam quickly grabbed his backpack and started walking blindly. "Woah, hey Sam," Mike said after the two nearly collided.

Sam looked up for a brief moment but that's all it took.

"Sam, what's wrong?" Mike asked concerned.

Sam couldn't answer and just shook his head.

Mike was surprised at Sam's behavior. It had been over a month since the start of school and Sam was doing okay. He was still incredibly shy but he'd caught Sam occasionally making small talk with his fellow classmates and according to the rest of his teachers, Sam was continuing to make good progress. "Sammy, what is it?" He asked leading Sam into his classroom which was thankfully nearby and empty.

"De… want Dean." Sam stuttered out through his tears.

"Okay, I'll call him." Mike reassured, grabbing his phone. "Hey Dean, it's me." He said, glad Dean had picked up on the first ring.

"Everything okay?" Dean asked, a little concerned to hear from Mike. _Wasn't this the middle of the school day or something?_

"Um, no, not really." Mike answered. "I don't know what but something happened…"

Dean cut him off. "Is he okay?"

"I can't tell." Mike replied.

"Let me talk to him." Dean ordered.

"Sure," Mike said handing the phone to Sam.

"D… dean?" Sam said quietly.

"Hey kid, what's up?" Dean asked, trying to hide his concern.

"Can… can you come get me… please? I don't feel good." Sam answered.

"Sure kid, I'm on my way." Dean had the feeling that this was more than just an upset stomach but figured he'd wait till he had the kid in front of him before making a final ruling.

Dean told Sean about the call and then drove to the school. It felt weird to park the Impala in the front lot and walk up the steps again as he made his way to Mike's room. "Hey Sammy," Dean said walking into the room.

Sam gave Dean a small smile.

"You don't feel good?" Dean asked placing his hand on Sam's forehead.

"Yeah, um, my stomach's a little upset." Sam lied.

"Okay, let's get you home." Dean said grabbing Sam's backpack. "Thanks, see ya later."

"No problem, bye Sam." Mike replied. "Feel better soon."

DW/SW

"Well, you don't have a fever but why don't you go lie down for a while." Dean suggested once they were home.

"Dean?" Sam asked.

"Yeah Sammy," Dean replied.

"Do I have to go to school tomorrow?" Sam asked, dreading seeing Mr. Martin, Zack or Ryan again.

"I don't know, we'll see how you feel in the morning alright." Dean was confused. He was in almost constant contact with all of Sam's teachers and for the most part, everyone said Sam was making progress. Why the sudden change then? _I'm just being paranoid, everything's probably fine and I'm just over reacting. Maybe he really doesn't feel well_ Dean thought but he still couldn't get rid of the feeling that this was something else.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought, I love hearing from you guys. I'll try to get ch. 3 up sometime soon. Thanks! :)


	3. Chapter 3

Hi guys, here's the next chapter. Thanks a lot for all the reviews so far, you guys are amazing! I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think. Also, my cousins are visiting so the next update might take a few days longer than normal. Enjoy! :)

* * *

After spending the past two days at home, faking a stomach ache Sam was begrudgingly back at school. He knew that Dean didn't believe him that a stomach bug was all that had been keeping him home and as much as he wanted to tell his big brother what was going on, he didn't want to act like a tattle tale or anything that would add to his daily misery.

He met up with James at their usual meeting spot and then the two of them headed to the locker rooms.

"Nah-aw, he was on my team last time. You get the freak today." Ryan said to Zack as James and Sam walked by.

"No way, I'm not losing. I heard the team that looses has to do five extra laps." Zack argued.

"God, why the hell can't he be more like his brother? I mean, how the hell are the two of them even related? Sam's a freak, Dean's… well, he's a freaking legend." Ryan ranted.

"Yeah, my brother says Dean's the reason we went to state and won all four years." Zack replied.

"Dude, if I had Dean as my brother… let's just say, no way would I embarrass him the way Sam does. Doubt the guy's ever gonna get laid." He said as the two of them walked off to the gym laughing.

_Not like any girl would want damaged goods anyway_ Sam thought wiping the tears from his eyes.

James heard the conversation between the two head jocks and knew Sam had heard it as well. Hell, the whole locker room had. "Sam…" He started.

"It's okay." Sam answered quietly.

"No, it's not. Why do you let those guys talk to you like that?" James asked.

Sam shrugged. Dean, Mike, James and Sean were the only people Sam had ever known who didn't constantly pick at his faults. "It's not a big deal." Sam said praying that James would drop it.

James shook his head. He wasn't sure how his friend could just lie down and take it.

Mr. Martin had selected dodge ball that day and Sam was more than a little relieved that he and James were on the same team. Unfortunately, Ryan and Zack were on the other. "Hey Winchester!" They both called before throwing balls simultaneously at Sam.

He managed to duck Ryan's but Zack's hit him square in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. James walked over and helped Sam up. "You okay?" He asked.

Sam nodded even though he was starting to get a bit shaky. That ball had felt way too much like a foot to the stomach.

"Get your ass off the court Sam!" Coach Martin yelled as Sam held his stomach.

James offered up an apologetic smile and Sam headed over to the bleachers.

"Come on, quit being such a pussy. I didn't it chuck that hard." Zack bullied.

James clenched his jaw shut as he picked up the ball Zack had thrown at Sam. He glared at him and waited for an opening. When Zack turned to laugh at something Ryan had said, no doubt about Sam, he threw it so that the ball smacked right into Zack's jewels. Zack dropped to the ground and started cursing.

"Mr. Anderson!" Mr. Martin yelled.

_What?_ James shrugged innocently.

"Don't give me that look. Apologize and go to the office." He ordered.

"So, I get sent to the office for accidentally hitting Zack and yet you do nothing when these two team up against Sam?" James asked incredulously .

"You wanna try a Saturday school?" Mr. Martin asked.

James stomped off towards the office, more than just a little pissed off.

Ryan and Zack smirked when they saw Sam walking to the locker room by himself. The kid was pathetic and weird. And as the schools jocks, it was their job to make sure the freak got a proper welcome.

DW/SW

Sam was now back in the locker room waiting until it cleared out. He waited until he was sure no one else was in the room before he pulled his shirt up. Mingling with the scars that criss-crossed his chest, there was a large bruise forming. He traced a finger down one particularly long scar that went from the middle of his rib cage to below his waist line. Tears filled his eyes and he jammed his fists against them trying to stop from crying. He didn't think that would help his appearance any.

He had disobeyed Frank, not on purpose but he'd disobeyed him none the less. Frank had just forced him to suck him off and Sam had accidentally gagged when Frank had come. Sam began to shake as he remembered how angry Frank had been. He'd grabbed Sam and pressed him up against the wall before shoving himself deep inside of Sam. After he was done, Frank had gone out to the kitchen and come back with a large steak knife.

_"Do I disgust you boy?" Frank asked putting the blunt side of the blade against Sam's neck._

_Sam whimpered in response._

_"I asked you a question. Do. I. Disgust. You?" Frank asked, enunciating each word as if he were speaking to Sam in another language._

_This time Sam managed a small shake of his head._

_"Really? Because I could have sworn that you just gagged? You know what people usually feel when they gag Sam?" Frank asked and Sam knew he wasn't supposed to answer. "Usually they don't like what's just happened. Tell me, Sam do you like what I do to you?"_

_Sam nodded even though everything inside of him was screaming no._

_"I don't think I believe you." Frank said fisting Sam's hair and forcing Sam's naked body flush up against his._

_"P… please…" Sam whimpered, the pain was still raw and he could feel hot liquid dripping down his legs._

_Frank was silent as he put the tip of the blade against Sam's bruised skin. Then without warning, he dragged the blade down, digging in deeper the lower he went. _

Sam was brought out of his horrific memories by the sound of the bell ringing. Lunch was over. _No! _He panicked as he hastily tore his clothes off, trying to hide behind the small metal door. He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally slid his jeans on and hurried out of the locker room, failing to notice Zack and Ryan watching him.

DW/SW

"So, how do you want to do this?" Zack asked Ryan as the two of them sat at one of the metal picnic tables.

"I don't know, I mean, we gotta go all out." Ryan replied. "Did you see him in the locker room, he looked like he was about to cry."

"Yeah… guy's a wimp. Wonder how much James is getting paid to actually be nice to the freak." Zack smirked.

"Shut up." James growled as he stood behind Ryan and Zack. He, Sam and the rest of the guys had been eating their lunch when they overheard Ryan and Zack's conversation.

"Oh what, did we hurt the little baby's feelings?" Zack asked with mock sympathy.

James shook his head, he knew he could get in trouble for this but he couldn't take it anymore. Sam hadn't done anything to these two assholes and he wasn't going to stand around and let them walk all over him. He made a fist, pulled his arm back and swung, hitting Zack in the face.

"Shit!" Zack yelled as blood streamed from his now broken nose.

James fisted Zack's shirt. "Leave him alone." He yelled.

Ryan saw a teacher coming and pulled James off of Zack while Bobby dragged James away. "What the hell is going on here?" Mr. Martin asked.

"Coach, we were just talking and then Anderson comes up and punches Zack in the face." Ryan explained.

"Office now Mr. Anderson." Mr. Martin ordered.

"Shit, man, I think it's broken." Zack muttered as Ryan helped him stand.

James ended up getting suspended for the rest of the week even though his friends tried to tell their side of the story.

DW/SW

"Hey, how was school?" Dean asked when Sam climbed into the car.

"It sucked." Sam answered. "Dean, I hate school, please can't we just go back to the home-schooling, please?"

"What happened?" Dean asked.

"James got suspended." Sam said quietly.

"What, why?" Dean asked concerned. So far, he didn't like where this conversation was going.

"Cause he was sticking up for me." Sam whispered.

"Why would he have to stick up for you?" Dean questioned.

Sam shrugged and looked out the window.

"Sam," Dean warned.

"It's not a big deal Dean, really." Sam answered. He'd already said too much.

"Then why do you want to stop going to school so badly?" Dean asked

Sam looked over at Dean and had tears in his eyes. "Please Dean…" Sam begged. _I can't take it anymore._

Dean shook his head and pulled out of the parking lot. The entire way home Sam sat staring out the passenger side window refusing to answer any of Dean's questions. As soon as they got home Sam went straight to his room and closed the door.

_What the hell is going on_ Dean asked himself.

DW/SW

Dean was sitting in the living room trying to figure out what could be bugging Sam so much. As far as Dean knew, his classes were all going okay. He hadn't had any calls from teachers wanting to discuss anything so that had to be a good sign right…? And he didn't think anyone was giving the kid trouble. Surely, Mike would have said something if he'd noticed Sam was being bullied. Sam had always told Dean what was going on in the past and Dean was sure that if this was anything really serious, he'd do the same now.

"It's open," Sam called when he heard Dean knocking.

"What ya working on?" Dean asked taking a seat on Sam's bed.

"Homework." Sam answered.

"Need any help?" Dean asked.

"No, I think I got it." Sam replied not looking at Dean.

"Sammy, is everything going okay?" He asked concerned.

When Sam didn't answer, Dean knew the answer was no. "Do… do I embarrass you cause I can't play sports?" Sam asked after a few minutes. In his heart he knew he didn't and that his big brother loved him but Zack's and Ryan's words were still bothering him.

"What no, why'd you… that's what all the extra exercise is about, isn't it?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded.

"Sammy, why would you think that?" Dean asked pulling Sam's chair closer.

"The kids at school… all everybody ever talks about is you and how you're the reason why we won everything and…" Sam said trying to keep his voice steady.

"And what?" Dean asked gently.

"And I don't know, I guess I just feel like I'm sort of letting you down." Sam answered.

Dean sighed. "Why would you be letting me down?"

"Because I can't play sports, I'm not popular… I can't talk to Kate…" Dean cut him off.

"Who's Kate?" Dean asked with a smile on his face.

"Just a girl." Sam answered blushing a little.

Dean laughed. "Just a girl, hunh Sam." He said. "But Sammy, it doesn't matter to me if you can't play sports or whatever. I'm proud of you anyway kiddo, I think you're amazing and not being able to make the winning touchdown isn't going to change that. Come here." He reached a hand forward and wiped the tears off of Sam's cheeks.

Sam nodded but one look at his face and Dean knew there was more.

"What is it kiddo?" He asked.

Sam shrugged.

"Sam, come on talk to me. I can't make it better if I don't know what's wrong." Dean said somewhat pleadingly.

"You can't make it better." _Nobody can._ Sam said, the small smile that had been working its way onto his face now disappearing.

"What can't I make better?" Dean asked scooting closer to Sam.

"My scars." Sam answered after a minute.

"What about them?" Dean asked.

"They make me so self-conscious Dean that when I'm in the locker room, I'm completely paranoid and I always end up being late to class because I'm too scared to change while everybody else is around." He explained. "I'm scared someone might see them and… and then they'll know." _Or that they already do._

Dean nodded.

"And it's not just other people seeing them. I mean, the… the ab… abuse, it doesn't happen anymore but every time I look at myself, I can see reminders and it makes me scared, nervous and I just want it all to stop." Sam's shoulders were shaking.

"What do you mean it 'all' Sam?" Dean asked concerned when he remembered that Sam had said that James had been suspended. "Sam, did something happen today?"

Sam looked away. "James, the reason he got suspended today was cause he was try... trying to stick up for me. I tried to tell him it didn't matter but he wouldn't listen." Sam explained.

"You tried to tell him what didn't matter?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged.

"Sam," Dean pushed.

"Just some guys… in my P.E. class, they um, they kind of give me a hard time." He answered.

"Define hard time." Dean ordered.

"They just say stuff and push me in the halls and that kind of stuff." Sam said staring at the ground.

"Are they the ones who compare you to me?" He asked getting very angry.

Sam nodded.

"Do your teachers know?" He asked.

Sam nodded again.

"Then why didn't Mike say anything to me?" Dean asked.

"It's not his fault Dean, I don't think he knows about it." Sam said defending his favorite teacher.

"Then which teacher knows?" He asked.

"Mr. Martin, my P.E. teacher." Sam answered.

"Wait, you have Mr. Martin?" The tone of Dean's voice made Sam suspicious.

Sam nodded.

"Son of a bitch." Dean muttered.

"Dean, what does it matter?" He asked.

"When these guys make fun of you, what does he do?" Dean asked.

"I can't tell you, you'll get mad." Sam replied.

"You're right, I will be mad but not at you, I promise." Dean smiled a little and ran a hand over Sam's tear-stained cheek.

"He just kind of stands there and watches, sometimes he encourages them." Sam said before seeing that Dean's jaw was clenched shut.

_I'll kill that bastard_ Dean thought.

"Dean, why do they treat me like that? I mean, what did I ever do to them?" Sam asked, fresh tears beginning to fall.

"They're just idiots Sammy and I promise, hey look at me." Dean said tilting Sam's chin up. "It's going to stop Sam, I'll make it stop."

Sam nodded and Dean pulled him in for a hug, causing Sam to wince. "You okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Ah yeah, just a little sore." Sam said trying to cover up his bruise.

"From what?" Dean asked.

"We played dodge ball today, I got hit." Sam explained.

"Let me see." Dean ordered.

"It's just a bruise Dean, nothing really." Sam pleaded.

"Sam, if it's making you wince, I wanna check it out. You trust me right?" Dean asked. If Sam was being bullied, the chances that this was accidental were slim to none and also Sam's desperation to hide it made Dean suspicious.

Sam nodded. He trusted Dean more than anybody else.

"I just want to make sure you're okay, alright." Dean said with a small smile on his face.

"If something was broken, I think I'd know. I mean, I have plenty of experience knowing what that feels like." Sam said sadly and Dean knew the real reason why Sam didn't want him to see the bruise… his scars.

"Sammy, hey, c'mon kiddo, it's me." He smiled a little. "You know I'm not going to judge you."

After a moment Sam nodded.

"Okay." Dean lifted Sam's shirt and was surprised at the size of the bruise on Sam's chest. _Son of a bitch _he thought. He raised one of his hands and gently put it on Sam's side, inspecting the area for himself. He was surprised when Sam flinched but then realized he'd touched one of Sam's scars. It was kind of hard not to, they covered a huge chunk of Sam's chest, torso and back and Dean knew there were quite a few hiding underneath Sam's jeans. Dean looked up to see that Sam's eyes were closed and had tears racing down his cheeks. "Come here." He said pulling Sam to him. "Shh Sammy, shh, it's going to be okay, it will."

Sam reached his hand up and wrapped it around a section of Dean's shirt. He wanted to believe that Dean could make all this go away but he doubted it would ever happen.

DW/SW

"How's Sam doing?" Sean asked when Dean walked into the shop the next morning. He'd heard how and why James had gotten suspended.

Dean shook his head. "He wants to quit school, go back to the home-schooling." Dean answered. "I think if it wasn't for James, he'd hide in the morning to keep from going to school. How is he?"

"He's pissed off, not cause he's suspended but because of the prick who is apparantly playing favorites." Sean replied. "And no one seems to care."

"Yeah, I heard... oh, that reminds me. I'm gonna take off early today. Pay an old friend a visit if you catch my drift." Dean said smirking.

"Let me know if you want back-up." Sean said knowingly. He'd gladly go to bat for the kid too.

"Thanks, I'll let you know how it goes." Dean replied.

DW/SW

"Hi Jack, got a minute?" Dean asked.

"Actually, I'm in a bit of a rush so can we do this another time?" He asked.

Dean shut the door. "I asked you if you had a minute."

Jack sighed. "There isn't much I can do Dean if Sam doesn't want to participate in class."

"Really because the way I've heard it, it doesn't matter how hard he tries. For you, it's never going to be good enough." Dean said angrily. After his talk with Sam, he'd called James to get his side of the story and he hadn't been happy with what he'd been told.

Mr. Martin started to abject but Dean cut him off. "You shut up. I know you and I had our differences in school and if you have a problem with me, fine, whatever I really couldn't give a shit about it but don't you dare bring my brother into this." He said through clenched teeth. Their high schools had been rivals and that instantly made Dean and Jack enemies. "Either you start treating him fairly or I'll be back and that little whistle…"

"And you'll what kill me? C'mon Dean, I know how you operate. You storm in here after hearing that your precious so called baby brother is being picked on, demand that I make it stop and if I don't you threaten to chop my balls off right?" Jack asked. "I say sure when in reality the moment you walk out the door I forget all about this pathetic little conversation. I mean, what teenager needs their big brother to sort out the bullies for them. If Sam really wanted them to stop, he'd take care of it himself instead of running and hiding behind you."

"You son of a bitch." Dean muttered. He was quiet for a few minutes. "Hey Jack, remember all the times I kicked your ass, on and off the field?"

Jack shrugged. "Now you know how it feels, not fun is it Dean?"

"No, but this is." Dean said before punching Jack in the face. "Get your little minions to lay off my brother or a fist in the face is going to be the least of your worries, got it Martin?" Dean asked letting go of Jack's shirt and letting him fall back down.

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So, how was that? Okay, good, bad... let me know and I'll try to get ch. 4 up ASAP. Thanks again! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Hi guys, here's the next chapter. I kind of struggled with it a little so I hope it turned out. Please let me know what you thought of it. Thanks so much for all the review so far! I hope you enjoy this one as well. :)

* * *

Sam woke when Ace came ran into the room and jumped up on his bed. "Hey boy," Sam said petting the fairly large German Shepherd. Ace barked and nudged Sam's hand. "What if I don't want to get up?" He asked.

Ace barked again and Dean entered the room. "Hey kiddo," Dean smiled and sat down on the bed.

"Please don't make me go." Sam begged before Dean could even suggest it.

"Sammy," Dean leaned forward to try and get his brother to look at him.

Slowly Sam raised tear filled eyes and Dean felt a tug on his heart. God, how he hated his former rival and his bitches. Dean wiped his thumb over Sam's cheek and shook his head a little. Even though Dean didn't want to send his brother to a place that he knew caused him pain, Sam couldn't afford to miss any more school.

"Why?" Sam asked more tears spilling down his cheeks. The thought of facing Zack and Ryan any day was bad enough but without James there, he knew it was going to be hell.

"Because Sammy, you gotta show them that you don't care what they say or do. I mean if you can get through the trial and all that shit Sam, then a couple of high school punks, that's baby stuff." Dean said trying to find the right words. "And Sammy, these guys, they might think they're tough shit now but give it a few years and they'll have bald spots, beer bellies and be working at the 7/11."

Sam laughed a little causing Dean to smile.

"So, what do you say?" Dean asked his tone hopeful.

"James won't be there." Sam argued.

"But Mike still is and so are the rest of the guys." Dean reassured. "So, why don't you get up and get dressed and I'll make us a quick breakfast."

"Fine." Sam relented though what he really wanted to do was to stay underneath his covers.

"Okay," Dean gave Sam's hand a gentle squeeze and got up. Ace whined and rubbed his large head against Sam's leg.

"You love me don't you boy?" Sam asked glad when Ace jumped up and licked his face.

DW/SW

Sam went to get out of the Impala but stopped when he felt Dean's hand on his shoulder. "Remember kiddo, no matter what anyone says, I'm proud of you." He smiled.

Sam nodded.

"Bye Sammy." Dean said as Sam climbed all the way out of the car. _Please let him have a good day_ Dean prayed to no one in particular. He knew he'd lose it if he showed up to pick Sam up and the kid was yet again a mess.

DW/SW

"Okay, we gotta do it today because his little body guard is coming back soon." Zack said as he and Ryan sat at break. They sat off to the side watching as Sam sat with his group noticing that he was a lot quieter today which was saying something.

"Today's as good as any. You got the stuff?" Ryan asked.

"Course." Zack smirked as he showed Ryan the camcorder.

"Sweet." Now all they had to do was wait for their prey.

Sam felt completely alone and vulnerable as he walked into the locker room. Without James there to make the other student's taunts bearable, he felt like he wanted to curl up into a ball and die. Sam paused when he got to his own locker and looked around. Something didn't feel right, he wasn't sure what it was but then realized that the taunts had been missing today. He knew Zack and Ryan were at school, he'd seen them earlier and hoped that they'd just gotten dressed before he had showed up. Once he felt that the room was deserted enough he grabbed his green P.E. shorts quickly pulling them on and took his shirt off.

"Say cheese Sam." Zack whispered as he zoomed in.

"Dude, what the hell?" Ryan asked when he saw the mass of scars on Sam's chest.

Feeling like something wasn't quite right, Sam hurried to put the grey shirt on. "Hello?" He called when Zack's foot accidentally banged against the wall of the air duct.

Ryan and Zack quietly sniggered at the freaked out look on Sam's face. "Aw, the little baby's scared." Zack commented.

Sam shook his head and told himself to quit being paranoid as he walked out of the locker room.

DW/SW

"Okay class, I want everyone to grab a partner." Mr. Martin called after they'd done their daily stretches. He smiled inwardly when he saw Sam looking around desperately. Today was going to be fun.

Sam panicked when he heard the word 'partners'. Normally it wouldn't be a problem as he and James always teamed up together but James was absent today and Sam was left partner-less. He was sure he looked like a loser standing there alone and was grateful Kate wasn't there to see it.

He was standing off to the side wondering what the hell he should do when he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Wanna be my partner?" Kate asked holding a badminton racquet out to Sam.

After a moment he nodded feeling relieved and yet very nervous. _Please don't let me look too bad _Sam prayed.

"Great, c'mon." She said leading the way with a smile.

"I um, I didn't know you were ah, in this class." Sam said as he missed the birdie for the 2nd time in a row. He picked it up and tossed it over the net trying his best to not look too embarrassed. _You're doing a great job impressing her, man, she's really gonna want you _he berated himself.

"I wasn't." She said smiling when Sam managed to hit the birdie back. "I had to change some stuff."

"Oh, what about um…?" Sam asked.

"You mean science?" She asked.

"Yeah." Sam answered.

"Don't worry, I'm not leaving you." She said causing Sam to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Hey man, check it out." Ryan said nudging Zack in the side.

"What?" He asked before he saw that Sam had a smile on his face and was playing with some girl. "Hmm, guess she likes losers."

"Yeah well, he better enjoy himself now." Ryan gave Zack a knowing smile.

Mr. Martin blew his whistle and Sam and Kate went their separate ways. Sam walked back to the locker room with a small smile on his face. While he still wished James was there, the day was turning out better than he thought it would. After changing, he dropped his backpack off at Mike's room and headed to the mandatory rally in the school's auditorium not realizing that his day was about to get a hell of a lot worse.

DW/SW

"Hey Linda, it's Dean. You got a sec?" He asked walking to his office and closing the door behind him.

"Sure, what can I help you with?" She asked.

"It's Sam, school's really taking a toll on him, on his confidence and I'm not quite sure what I should do." He admitted.

"Well, have you talked to Sam? Asked him why it's so hard?" She asked.

Dean nodded. "It's his scars and the fact that he's not very athletic. Both make him an easy target for bullies."

"Okay, well the sports, that's an easy one. Weren't you a jock in high school?" She asked.

"Yeah." Dean answered a little confused.

"Well, you can teach him how to play sports and he's comfortable around you so he won't feel pressured and he'll be able to relax more." Linda explained.

Dean felt like hitting his head against a wall. He wasn't sure why that hadn't occurred to him before but then he remembered the other, larger part of Sam's insecurities. The one that couldn't be fixed as easily as teaching Sam how to throw a pass. "But what about his scars?" Dean asked.

"I'm not a doctor so I don't know how helpful I'll be." She replied.

"Linda, I'm about to beat my head against the freaking wall and I swear to god if I have to watch that kid come home and cry one more time…" He drifted off having gotten his point across.

Linda thought about it for a moment before answering. "What about plastic surgery?"

"Plastic surgery?" Dean asked, unsure if he'd heard her right. He wanted to help get rid of Sam's scars, not give him a boob job.

"Yes Dean, plastic surgery. There are surgeons who specialize in child trauma cases. Let me make a few calls and then I'll get back to you alright." She said.

"Okay, thanks a lot." He said before hanging up.

DW/SW

Sam had found a seat on one of the lower bleachers and was waiting nervously for the rally to start. A couple minutes later, the lights were dimmed down and music pumped through the room. The rally team came charging into the room and started throwing confetti into the crowd. A few minutes later, the music stopped and images flashed across the screen. Sam sat up when he saw a couple pictures of Dean, some of him on the football team and accepting 'Prom King' and then the screen went black.

A moment later Sam's heart stopped as the video started to play again. "No, no, no, no," He pleaded when he saw himself up on the screen… changing into his P.E. uniform. "Oh god," He literally felt sick when the close up of his chest came on. He looked up to see that everybody was staring at him and whispering loudly. Tears of humiliation coursed down his face as he jumped up and ran out of the room as Zack, Ryan and their cronies booed.

"Ever considered a job in modeling?" One of them yelled.

"Shut that shit off!" Mike ordered before chasing after Sam. "Sam! Sammy!" _Dean is going to fucking kill me!_

Sam ran as fast as he could even though he had no idea where he was going. _Oh god, they know … they know and they hate me. Oh god, Kate… there's no way she's ever going to talk to me again. At least James didn't see it but he'll find out eventually, I mean, someone's going to tell him about it. _He had made it to the front parking lot before Mike grabbed his arm. "Sam, stop, stop."

"Please just let me go." Sam cried. He needed to get away. He needed someplace to hide where nobody could find him, even if they knew his secret.

"Come on, I'll take you home." Mike reassured. They pulled up to the shop and Mike killed the engine. "Wait here." He said and quickly ran into the shop.

"Mike?" Dean asked shocked to see him running into the shop. "What are you do…?"

"Sam needs you." Mike interrupted. He took a breath and started to fill Dean in on the events of the day.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean cursed. "Where is he?"

"My truck." Mike answered.

Less than a minute later, Dean was running out to Mike's truck and opening the driver side door. "Sammy?" Dean said crawling into the cab with Sam.

Sam looked up for a moment and Dean feared that they'd just taken five steps backwards.

"Come here," Dean pulled Sam to him and wrapped his arms securely around him. "Shh, I've got you little brother. It's okay, I'm here now, it's okay."

Sean and Mike looked at each other and then at Dean who was holding a devastated little brother. It was payback time.

DW/SW

The moment Dean unlocked the door, Sam ran straight past Ace and into his room, collapsing into sobs on his bed. Dean followed Sam in and his heart broke at the scene that greeted him. Sam was lying face down on his bed, shaking uncontrollably. He walked over and laid down beside Sam, pulling him close. Sam rolled over and buried his face in Dean's shoulder keeping his face hidden behind his hands.

"I know Sammy, I know." Dean said gently rubbing circles on his brother's back. Each shudder that passed through Sam was like a knife to the heart and Dean wanted nothing more than to rewind the last couple weeks and stop any of this before it ever even had the chance to get started. "Shh, Sam, shh, I'm here kiddo, I'm here."

Eventually Sam cried himself to sleep but Dean didn't let go of his hold on Sam. "I'm sorry kiddo, I'm sorry." He whispered pressing a soft kiss to the top of Sam's head. "You deserve so much better."

_Shit!_ Dean thought when his phone started to ring. "Let me call you back." He said not evening giving the other person a chance to speak. He gently moved out from behind Sam and placed a blanket over him.

Once he was out in the living room, Dean called Linda back. "Sorry about that, I just got him to fall asleep. Did you find anything out?"

"Yes, I called one of the hospitals that I used to work at and spoke to the head of plastic surgery there." She answered. "I explained the situation to him and he said he'd be glad to help. His number's 245-8476, I told him you'd give him a call."

"I don't know how to thank you." Dean replied.

"No thanks necessary. You just take care of your brother." She said with a smile.

"You know I will. Bye Linda." Dean said hanging up. He walked back down the hall to Sam's room.

Ace had pushed the door open and was now lying, almost protectively in front of Sam. Dean smiled, glad Sam had Ace as a steady companion and made his way to the bed.

A few minutes later Sam's eyes fluttered and he woke, looking up at Dean through teary eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Dean apologized as he wiped a thumb over Sam's still falling tears.

"It's okay," Sam whispered his voice hoarse.

"No, it's not Sam. I know what Zack and Ryan did hurt you." Dean said his voice a mix of concern and anger.

Sam looked off in another direction and was quiet for several minutes. "I feel so humiliated Dean. I just want to curl up underneath the covers and stay there forever but I know you're not going to let me."

Dean moved to sit down beside Sam and put an arm around him. "You're right, I'm not going to let you hide forever. You want to know why?" He asked.

Sam didn't answer.

"Because I've seen how far you've come Sammy and I'm not going to let some snot nosed brat who thinks he's god's gift to women take everything we've worked for away." Dean explained. "I remember how scared you used to be Sam, you'd jump at the smallest noises yet you never made any unless you were having a nightmare. Look at you now, you can hold a conversation… say your opinion. You smile and laugh. Don't let them win Sam, please… don't let me lose my little brother."

Tears pooled in Sam's eyes as he listened to Dean.

"And I promise you, I am going to do everything in my power to help you regain your confidence." He smiled a little.

"I know you'll try but…" Sam said despairingly and looked at Dean questioningly.

"You said you're not very good at sports. I can help you with that, teach you the rules, all the right moves so that way when you do go back… you can show those pricks whose boss." Dean answered.

"What about…?" Sam asked, drifting off though Dean had no doubt what Sam was asking about.

"I've thought about that too." He replied. "I called Linda, she told me about a plastic surgeon, one who specializes in kids who have been traumatized. She gave me his number. I was gonna call later today but I thought I'd run it by you first."

Sam nodded.

"So, what do you think? Should we give this guy a try?" Dean asked.

"I don't have anything to lose." Sam answered making Dean smile. He was glad Sam hadn't been totally destroyed by the day's events.

DW/SW

They had been lying in silence for the greater part of the afternoon when there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it." Dean smiled softly before getting up and walking out to the living room.

"Please tell me that Jack's lying when he says you punched him." Mike practically pleaded after Dean had let him in. Dean looked at him sheepishly. "God dammit Dean!"

"What, you seriously didn't think I was gonna sit back and say, oh yeah, that's fine. Do what you want, did you?" Dean asked.

"You punched him?" Sam asked standing in the hallway now knowing why his teacher had been wearing sunglasses inside the gym today.

"Hey Sam, how ya doing?" Mike asked with a smile on his face.

Sam ignored him. "Why?" He asked walking up to Dean.

"He was hurting you, I couldn't let him get away with that." Dean replied as if it was common sense.

"But now he probably hates me even more." Sam said sadly and becoming very quiet.

Dean reached out a hand and placed it on Sam's shoulder. "He doesn't hate you Sammy, he hates me and he's taking it out on you."

"Why am I everybody's scapegoat?" Sam asked, tears falling down his face. "What, do I have a sign on my back that says 'kick me, I enjoy it'?!"

"Sammy, come here kiddo." Dean said pulling Sam close and rubbing his back. "You didn't do anything to anybody and Jack, Ryan and Zack are just a couple of jerks Sam who don't even deserve a second thought." He looked up at Mike. "Did you come here to yell at me or what?"

"Ms. Pencilloni wants Sam to come down to the office. She wants to talk to you." He said causing Dean to shake his head, he knew Sam would adamantly refuse it.

"What, no, I… I can't go back there." Sam said fighting to get out of Dean's embrace.

Dean gave Mike an 'I told you so' look.

"Sam, she wants to hear your side of the story." Mike reasoned.

"But… but what about… the other kids, I don't want to see them." He said staring at the floor.

"What if you went there tomorrow, how about after school? That way you can avoid having to run into anybody." Mike suggested.

Sam looked at Dean for help. "I think you, we should go talk to her Sam. She can help us figure out how to make this stop. It's worth a shot." He encouraged.

Begrudgingly Sam nodded.

DW/SW

Sam looked around the school parking lot nervously. It was overall pretty empty and Sam hoped he wouldn't run into anybody. Dean gave him a reassuring smile and the two headed towards the front office.

"Hi Sam, Dean, please come in." Ms. Pencilloni said opening the door to her office.

Dean gave her a smile and Sam followed his lead. "First off Sam, I want to apologize on behalf of the staff here. I'm sorry we let it get this far and as for that prank Ryan and Zack pulled, they have been suspended indefinitely."

Dean nodded glad to see that at least some action was being taken. Better late than never. Although, if he'd been the one in charge of punishments, suspensions would have been just the start.

"Sam, I've talked to James, Zack, Ryan and Mr. Martin and heard their sides of the story. I haven't heard yours yet and it's one that's the most important." She smiled a little. "Would you care to tell me how this all started."

Sam looked at Dean before answering. "I guess it started, at least with um Zack and Ryan when they realized that I ah, suck at P.E. and am pretty shy. I don't really stick up for myself a whole lot. I guess it made me an easy target." Hearing Sam explain why it had happened cemented Dean's belief that he had to do something and soon.

"And what about Mr. Martin, how does he fit into all this?" She asked.

"He hates Dean…" Dean smiled reassuringly before taking over.

"Jack and I used to be high school rivals. I had a tendency to beat him at whatever the competition was, sports, friends, girls… you name it." Dean answered. "So now, I guess he's taking all of his anger at me out on Sammy."

She nodded before turning her attention back to Sam. "Sam, how often does this occur? I mean, from what James said, it sounds like it's a pretty frequent occurrence." Ms. Pencilloni

Sam shrugged. "Um, it happens whenever I'm alone and mostly during class because they know they can get away with it."

"Mr. Martin doesn't punish them?" She asked starting to form a picture of the new teacher in her head and it wasn't one she liked.

"No, he kind of rewards them." Sam replied.

"What do you mean rewards them?" She asked hiding her growing anger.

Sam shrugged again. "I don't know, it's mostly little things. He praises them or sometimes they don't have to do as much work."

"Sam, can I ask you why you never told someone about this?" She asked.

He looked at the wall behind his principle's head. "I thought I could take care of it on my own, I guess I thought wrong."

Dean turned to Sam. "Sammy, I know how much you can handle but you shouldn't have to deal with these jackasses on your own. It's why you've got a big brother, so I can watch your back."

"And Sam, it's why I'm here too. This school has a zero-tolerance policy and the last thing I want is for one of my students to feel like he or she can't feel safe here." Ms. Pencilloni added.

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Hey! So thanks for taking the time to read and I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you thought of the chapter and I'll try to get the next one up soon. :)


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys, here's the next chapter.

Good news, I got my lap top so hopefully I will be able to write a lot more and get things up quicker. I'm not too incredibly happy with this chapter but I think it's as good as it's gonna get. I know I've really put Sammy through the ringer the past few chapters, okay, this entire story but keep reading, things will get better for him I promise. Also, sorry this chapter's so short.

Thanks again for all the reviews, favorites, alerts, everything. They mean a lot. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you thought of it! Thanks! :)

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It had been three days since they'd gone to speak with the principle and no matter how hard Dean tried, he couldn't cheer Sam up. He was back to his shy ways and was avoiding all contact with his friends not that Dean could blame him but he didn't want Sam to slide back just because of a high school prank gone bad.

Dean had called the hospital Linda recommended and was thankful that their appointment was coming up. Hopefully, some good news on that front would cheer the kid up. Maybe if Sam thought he had options, he might not feel so depressed.

"Sammy, go get dressed." Dean said sighing. Letting Sam mope around wasn't going to help the kid in any way, shape or form.

Sam shook his head.

Dean got up from his seat and walked over, kneeling in front of Sam. "Go get dressed okay then you and I are going to go have some fun, alright kiddo." He smiled a little hoping to get one in return. He was disappointed. "It's the weekend and we are not going to spend it trapped inside."

Sam wiped his eyes and got up from the couch, Ace following just behind him.

Dean sighed again and ran a hand through his hair before going into the garage. If the two of them were going to have fun today, then Dean needed to get the right equipment.

Sam walked to his room and sat down on his bed looking at Ace, tears building in his eyes. _He's gonna know, as soon as he sees me throw a football he's gonna know just why everybody hates my guts _he thought. Ace whined and nudged Sam's leg. "Yeah, yeah, I'm getting there." Sam said patting the top of Ace's head. Sam finally emerged from his room about fifteen minutes and walked out to the backyard.

"Hey," Dean smiled and walked over to Sam. "So, first thing I'm gonna teach you is how to throw an actual pass."

Sam nodded.

"Here," He said handing Sam the football. "See where the threads are?" He asked.

"Yeah." Sam answered quietly.

"Put one finger in between each of them okay." Dean instructed. Sam did as he was told. "Now, when you go to throw it pull your arm back so that the ball is about level with the top of your head got it?"

Sam nodded nervously. "Dean?"

"Yeah kiddo." Dean replied.

"You won't um… get mad at me if I suck right?" Sam asked.

"You're not gonna suck so don't worry, we're just gonna have fun. The more we play, the better you'll get." Dean reassured as he walked to the other side of the lawn. "Kay, throw it to me." He smiled as he walked to pick the ball up. Sam's aim was off but he definitely had power.

"Good start, let's go again." He encouraged passing it back while Ace lounged on the patio chewing on a rawhide bone.

Sam and Dean spent the remainder of the weekend playing different sports including soccer, basketball and some more football. Dean hoped that if he exposed Sam to a lot of sports, he might find one that he actually liked and Dean hoped that that might make the kid a bit more confident in himself making returning to school a little easier.

DW/SW

"I'm gonna go take a shower." Sam said trudging down the hall once they came home from work the next day.

"Okay," Dean said heading to the kitchen. A few minutes later, the phone rang and Dean answered it. "Oh hey, what's up?" He asked walking to the couch.

"I just wanted to let you know that people are talking." Mike replied.

Dean nodded, he figured they would. If Sam's shy behavior and scars didn't start high school drama rumors, he didn't know what did. "What are they saying?" He asked really not all that interested but he knew he'd have to deal with the consequences of these stories once Sam returned to school.

"It's pretty much all just speculation and wondering how he got them but I wouldn't doubt it if some rumor surfaced soon." Mike explained. There was a moment of silence between them as they contemplated how to stop the rumors before they started. "I guess the only good thing is that doofus and idiot aren't there to help them spread faster."

Zack and Ryan were still facing suspension and the possibility that they wouldn't be coming back was high which made Dean happy but in a way, the damage had already been done. As for Mr. Martin, he had been fired and Mike had told Dean that he hadn't gone quietly making sure everybody knew it was 'Sam's fault' for this whole mess.

Dean laughed. "I thought teachers weren't supposed to be biased." He said before the irony of that statement hit him. If teachers really weren't biased toward their students, they wouldn't be having these problems now.

"You saying, you want me on their side?" Mike retorted. "Anyways…"

"Yeah, I know, I've been thinking about this. I mean people have always been suspicious when I call Sam my little brother and I've kind of ignored them because I honestly didn't give a crap what they thought but now…" Dean drifted off.

"You gotta come up with something before someone else does." Mike replied. "Any explanation you have will be a hell of a lot more respectful than someone else's."

"What do you think about this?" Dean asked after a moment.

"What?" Mike asked.

"If and only if someone asks you or you ya know hear something, tell them that my parents were in the process of adopting Sam when they died." He answered.

"Okay but what about the five months in between?" Mike asked surprised that Dean would bring his parents into this.

"Um… tell them that I was such a mess afterwards that he kind of got forgotten about and then when I heard how much he still needed a family I decided to continue with my parents plans. I mean, adopting, it's something they would have done and if people still have a problem, they can go fuck themselves." He said glancing down the hall.

Mike smiled slightly at Dean's last comment, his friend had never been one for subtlety. "I don't know Dean that might open up another can of worms. I mean, some are bound to ask why he was in need of being adopted in the first place." Mike said.

Dean sighed. "Then we can say he got them in a car crash or something. I'm grasping at straws here. Do you have anything better?" He asked.

"No but…" Dean cut him off.

"So I say we go with it. He doesn't have to answer any questions that he doesn't want to or prove anything to anybody." Dean replied.

"It's your choice so okay but I'm just telling you, I don't know about it." Mike sighed. "Tell him I say hi and I'll talk to you later." He said hanging up.

DW/SW

Kate had been sitting in her normal lunch spot with her best friend, Claire, watching Sam's group of friends. "Just go over and talk to them. If they're as nice as he is, there's nothing to worry about." Claire said trying to push Kate towards the group. She knew her friend could be a little shy and kind of dorky.

Kate nodded and got up from the table. "You guys are friends with Sam, right?" She asked once she'd approached the group.

"Ah yeah, why?" James asked. Ever since he'd returned to school to find Sam gone and the reason why, different classmates had been coming up to him and asking questions, usually with less than honorable intentions. He really hoped she wasn't another 'sympathetic rubber-necker'.

"I'm Kate, I'm Sam's lab partner in science. I was just wondering how he's doing. I mean, he hasn't been at school this week and well…" She drifted off.

James got the feeling that Sam wouldn't want him to tell Kate just how miserable and embarrassed he was. "I think he's doing okay." He lied. Even though he hadn't talked to Sam recently, he knew he wasn't doing well.

"Oh, okay. Thanks, that's um… all I wanted to know." She said before nervously adding. "If you see him, could you tell him I say hi?"

James nodded. "Hey, ah Kate?" He called a minute later.

"Yeah?" She replied.

"Um, we were going to go stop by and see him after school, do you want to come with us?" James asked.

She smiled. "Sure."

"Cool, I'll meet you by the front steps." He answered.

DW/SW

"Hey Sam you ready to go?" Dean called as he walked into his office.

"Yeah." Sam said quietly. To say he was nervous would be the understatement of the year. His appointment with the plastic surgeon was today and he had no idea what to expect.

"Alright, let's go. Bye." Dean said turning to Sean.

"Bye guys, good luck." Sean smiled a little and then turned back to the tune-up job he was finishing.

"Ready?" Dean asked as he pulled up to a spot in the hospital's front parking lot.

"As I'll ever be." Sam said flashing Dean a nervous smile.

They walked up the steps and through the sliding glass doors before taking the elevator up to the third floor. Sam walked over to the corner of the waiting room and stared at the floor while Dean paid the co-pay.

Dean took the clipboard provided by the desk nurse and walked to join Sam in the far corner of the waiting room. He gave him a reassuring smile and began filling out the papers. Sam sat beside Dean glancing around the room and quickly realized that this wasn't any ordinary plastic surgeon's office. The walls were covered with before and after pictures of cleft palates and other deformities... all inflicting children and teenagers. _Maybe he can help me_ Sam thought, his spirits lifting slightly.

"Sam Winchester," A nurse called about ten minutes later.

"That's us." Dean stood up and Sam followed him into the hallway.

"Right this way please." She said before opening a door to one of the exam rooms.

Sam looked at Dean hesitantly and the two of them followed her into Dr. Roy Harris's exam room. "He'll be right with you." She smiled.

"Thanks." Dean shut the door while Sam hopped up onto the bench. "It's gonna be fine." Dean reassured.

Sam nodded but stared at his hands trying to stop them from trembling.

A couple minutes later there was a knock on the door and a young doctor who looked to be in his thirties stepped into the room. He had dark wavy hair and bright green eyes. He was dressed in a blue dress shirt that was tucked into black slacks, wearing a white doctor's coat over it. Dean thought he seemed friendly but until he knew for sure, he was going to keep a very close eye on him. "Hi Sam, I'm Dr. Harris." He said shaking hands with the teen.

Sam mustered a small 'hi'.

Dean stood up and shook the doctor's hand as well before re-taking his seat against the wall. Dr. Harris sat down on his stool in front of Sam. "So Sam, it says here that you have some scars you'd like to get rid of."

Sam nodded unable to believe that he was talking, willingly, about his scars to a practical stranger.

"Can I take a look?" Dr. Harris asked.

Sam looked at Dean who gave him a reassuring smile and he started to undo the buttons on his shirt. His hands began to shake and he tried to calm himself down. _I'm safe, this isn't anything to freak out about. _Sam glanced up when he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked into Dean's comforting gaze. He finished undressing and Dr. Harris rolled forward.

"Okay, let's take a look here Sam." He said pulling back the edges of Sam's shirt. Dr. Harris examined Sam's chest, taking mental notes of the severity and number of scars littering the teen's skin. "Alright now, just so we are better able to plan the surgery, I'd like to get some pictures." He said walking to a cabinet and pulling out an expensive looking camera.

Sam's face turned white and he looked to Dean for help. "Why do you need pictures?" Dean asked a little concerned.

"The pictures will help me plan what kind of surgery is needed in each area without having to reexamine Sam all the time." Dean nodded, that did make sense.

Sensing Sam's uneasiness about it, the doctor turned to him. "Sam, I want to assure you that this is strictly professional and just to help me so I can find ways to make this an even better success for you."

After a little hesitation, Sam nodded.

"Okay, can you stand up for me? Against that wall over there?" He asked.

Sam hopped off the bench and walked over to the wall. Dr. Harris snapped a couple pictures and then Sam returned to the bench. "Now, let's take a look at your back so why don't you stand up. I think it'll be easier that way."

Sam stood back up and focused on Dean who had a look of encouragement on his face as the doctor inspected his back.

"Okay, what about the rest?" He asked causing a look of embarrassment to cross Sam's face. After a couple minutes of hesitation, Sam complied with the request and slid his jeans off. _He's here to help you_ he thought, trying to keep himself from panicking. After a little while, the exam was done much to Sam's relief and he pulled his pants back up.

"What's the verdict?" Dean asked placing a reassuring hand on Sam's shoulder feeling his brother lean into his touch. He'd seen the different emotions cross over his brother's face and hoped that the doctor would have good news for them. He knew they both could use it.

"Obviously the kind of treatment we're going to be going for here is any kind of scar revision. Finding the right type might be a bit more on the tricky side based on not only the number of scars but also the different types." He answered.

"Different types?" Dean asked confused, _weren't all scars pretty much the same?_

"Yes, a scar is caused when the skin or underlying muscle or tissue is damaged. Damage can occur because of several reasons and as a result there are different types, trauma from a sharp object, burns which in of itself have several different categories and so on." He explained. "Sam's scars are a mix. Some look as if they were caused by sharp objects such as knives and that kind of thing. He also has some burns on his stomach and chest that would need a different treatment than say the scars on his back. "

Dean nodded, still a little confused.

"There are a few options we could try, it just depends on what you expect and want out of the surgery." Dr. Harris started.

"I just don't want them to be so blatantly obvious." Sam answered causing Dean to smile. He was glad Sam was voicing his opinion.

"That's perfectly understandable Sam and I think that we will be more than able to fill that goal. Now, there are a few different options I'd like to discuss with you. First, we have what's called shaving, where we actually shave the scar down so it's smooth and blends in with your natural skin tone."

Dean nodded and risked a quick glance at Sam.

"An alternative to that would be laser surgery." He explained. "For you Sam, I'd recommend a hot laser. I think it would be more effective than the newer version, cold lasers. The down side to using this kind of laser is that because of the amount of heat and energy used, they can be extremely painful and usually have a longer recovery period."

"What about shaving, what are the pros and cons of that?" Dean asked.

"While shaving is less painful, I don't think it would be as effective with how many scars you do have Sam." Dr. Harris answered. "Shaving surgeries are usually done when the damage is less extensive."

"So you think the hot laser surgery would work better?" Dean asked.

"Yes," Dr. Harris replied. "I think to minimize your amount of pain Sam and to maximize recovery time, we should do it in three separate surgeries. The first one would be your chest and arms. Depending on how fast you recover, we would then do your legs and lastly we would do your back."

Dean nodded again. He didn't like the idea of Sam being in pain but if in the long run this was going to help him, it could be worth a try. "What do you think?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged.

Dean smiled understandingly. He knew he'd get more out of him once it was just the two of them. "When would you suggest starting?" He asked.

"When is his next school break?" Dr. Harris asked.

Dean thought about it for a moment. "Um… it would be Thanksgiving break and then about two weeks later he's got winter."

"How long is that break?" He asked.

"I think it's two weeks." Dean answered.

"Let's do the first one during winter break. It'll give you a longer chance to recover and you won't have to miss as much school." Dr. Harris decided.

_Oh goody!_ Sam thought sarcastically. He'd be thrilled if he never had to step foot in that place again. He could only imagine how happy everybody was to finally be rid of him, especially now that they knew he was a disgusting freak.

"Sounds good." Dean agreed.

"Alright, I believe that's it for today. I'll give you some pamphlets and readings and you two can decide which one works best for you."

"But you think the hot laser would work the best?" Dean asked standing up.

"Yes, that's my professional opinion but ultimately, it's up to you so Sam, do you have any questions for me?" He asked.

Sam shook his head no.

Dr. Harris smiled a little and turned to Dean. "You can set up his next appointment at the front desk and I'll see you two in a few weeks. Have a good day." He said before leaving the small exam room.

"Thanks, bye." Dean replied. "Come on kiddo, let's get out of here."

DW/SW

After school ended for the day, James, Andy, Bobby and Kate piled into James's jeep and headed to Sam's house. "Does he know we're coming?" Bobby asked.

"No." James said turning onto Sam's street.

"I've been thinking." Andy said after a couple minutes.

"That's never a good thing." James teased. He looked over his shoulder. "What about?"

"Ryan and Zack. We gotta get those punks back. Anybody got any ideas?" He asked.

James shrugged. He was in full agreement with Andy. There was no way he could stand back and let them get away with their latest endeavor in making Sam's life hell. "Whatever we do, it's gotta tell people not to mess with us."

They weren't far from Sam's house when James slammed on the breaks and suddenly turned around. "Kate?" He asked.

"Yes," She answered somewhat nervously.

"Were you at the rally?" He asked. They all knew that Sam had a crush on her and James wasn't sure if Sam was ready to see her yet.

She nodded and then the light bulb went off. "Oh no… and he knows I was there."

"I wonder how he got those, I mean, they didn't look self-inflicted." Bobby stated.

"Yeah me too, has Sean ever mentioned anything?" Andy asked turning to James.

James shook his head. He had an idea about what had happened but he didn't have all the facts and he didn't want to start saying things that weren't true. "Naw, he's been pretty tight-lipped about it. I mean, I know that he does know but he's not talking."

"He might not be but the rest of the school is." Bobby replied.

"Yeah well they can go screw themselves." Kate said surprising Sam's friends. Ever since the rally, she'd had to listen to people who didn't even know Sam judge him and she was sick of it. "What?" She shrugged with a smile.

James shook his head and smiled. At first he hadn't quite seen why Sam had been so attracted to her. She wasn't ugly by any means but she didn't stand out either now though, he caught a glimpse of her spunk and he hoped that Sam wouldn't be mad at him for bringing her along.

"So, what do we do?" Bobby asked.

"We go see him and we act like nothing's different." James said putting the car back into drive. _Because nothing is_ he thought.

DW/SW

"So what do you think?" Dean asked after they'd climbed into the Impala and headed home.

Sam shrugged.

"Sam, I know you've got an opinion on it and I want to hear it." Dean pushed.

"I don't know Dean." He replied. "I mean, sure it sounds good but what if…"

"What if what?" Dean asked after Sam had drifted off.

"What if it doesn't work Dean? I mean, I've got a lot and what if he can't get rid of all of them?" Sam asked.

"Sammy, I don't think it's about getting rid of them but trying to reduce their visibility." Dean answered.

"I wish I could." Sam whispered.

"I know you do, I wish we could to but right now this is the best option we have, at least in my opinion." Dean said.

"Yeah well, either way the damage's been done already." Sam said quietly.

Dean looked at him confused though he already knew what Sam was talking about. "Give people a chance Sam, maybe it won't be a big deal." Dean said not believing himself.

"That's a pretty big maybe Dean. I don't want to go back Dean, even if we get me fixed, I can't go back there when I know that they know the real me." Sam replied.

"The real you?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded.

"And who is that Sam? Some bullshit story of what you think someone might MIGHT believe or the smart, funny, talented and caring person you really are?" Dean asked a serious expression on his face. "By the way, Sam, you're not broke, there's nothing to fix."

"You really think that James and Kate…" Sam's eyes got huge as he drifted off.

"What?" Dean asked glancing up ahead and seeing the jeep surrounded by Sam's friends parked in their driveway.

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Hey, so how was that? Hope you enjoyed it and I'll try and get Ch. 6 up soon. Thanks again for reading and please let me know what you thought, I always enjoy hearing your opinions. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys! Sorry this took a little while. I got my laptop but then it stopped working so we had to get it fixed and then once I did fianlly have the chapter finished, the site wouldn't let me log on so sorry.

I want to thank everyone for their continued support of this story. It really means a lot. I know Sammy's been through hell but hang in there, he's got to go through the bad before he gets to the good right?

I also want to let you guys know that I'm starting college in a few days so I'm not sure how much time I will have to write but I promise I will try very hard to give you chapters ASAP. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you thought of it. Thanks! :)

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"What… what are they doing here?" Sam asked as he sat stock still in the passenger's seat staring at his group of friends waiting for him in the driveway.

"I don't know but let's go see." Dean said starting to open his door.

"No." Sam said determination written across his face. "I don't want to see them." He knew what they were here for and if he could help it, he wasn't going to let anybody yell at him anymore. He didn't deserve that, especially not from people who didn't even know what had actually happened.

"Well, they obviously want to see you." Dean replied closing the door and sitting back in his seat.

"Dean, please make them go away… please." Sam pleaded.

"No Sammy, I know I've let you hide or whatever for the past few days but this has to stop. They're your friends Sam and they came over to see you. Obviously they wanna spend some time with you." Dean said trying to reassure his brother.

"More like they wanna tell me how pathetic I am." Sam muttered.

"You're not pathetic." Dean corrected. "And you don't know what they want but Sam, James stood up for you before all of this even happened right?" He asked.

Sam nodded.

"Well, why would he change his mind now, hunh? Come on kid, give them a chance alright." Dean said reopening his door.

Sam went to argue but was cut off by the sound of Dean's door slamming shut.

"Hey," Dean smiled at the group and walked into the house leaving his little brother looking for an escape.

Sam sat in the passenger seat with his arms folded across his chest, a stubborn and horrified expression on his face. How the hell did Dean expect him to be able to talk to James, Andy, Bobby and… Kate… _no, no, no, there is no way I'm getting out of this car, no way! I can't, I mean, they're probably here to yell at me or something…_ Sam's thoughts were interrupted when James walked up to the car's window and motioned for him to roll the window down.

"Hey," James smiled. "You gonna get out of the car sometime today? We," He said turning and motioning to the rest of their group. "Wanted to hang out."

"Oh um, it's okay… I'm kind of tired." Sam lied.

"Sam, come on man, we haven't seen you all week. We just wanna hang out." James tried again.

Sam looked around and realized, rather begrudgingly, that Dean and his friends were right, he was going to have to get out of the car at some point. Sighing, he opened the door and stepped out.

"Glad you decided to join us." James said as they walked over to the group.

Sam nodded and tried to offer him a small smile which actually looked more like a grimace. _If you're gonna yell at me, could please just do it already_ Sam silently pleaded wanting to get the shame over with sooner rather than later.

The group stood in the driveway for several minutes of awkward silence as no one really knew what to say. Sam looked up and saw Dean through the kitchen window. He held up a coke bottle and pointed to it. Sam got the message. "Um…" He started somewhat nervously. "You guys wanna come in I guess… get a drink?"

"Sure," They all replied in unison as they followed Sam up the steps.

Dean smiled when Sam walked in the front door followed by his friends as they made their way into the living room. "What… what do you want?" Sam asked after introducing each of his friends to Ace.

"What do you have?" James asked scratching the big dog behind one of his ears.

"I think we've got some sodas." He said walking into the kitchen. "And milk, juice and water." He glared at Dean who just looked at him and smirked.

"You'll be fine, relax." He replied quiet enough so that Sam was the only one who could hear him.

"Soda!" Everyone called.

After everybody had their drinks, Sam plopped down on the couch, sitting opposite of James. Andy and Bobby were on the floor and Kate was sitting in a large cushy chair across from Sam. "So, what have you been up to?" James asked.

_Living the high life_ Sam thought sarcastically. "Nothin'." He muttered quietly.

James nodded and the silence continued.

"So… do you know when you're coming back?" Bobby asked a couple minutes later.

_Never_ Sam told himself even though he knew it was a lie. Dean would make him go back eventually.

When Sam didn't respond, James spoke up. "We know you don't want to Sam but we… we miss you. I mean, come on dude, you're of us now." He said looking at the group for confirmation. They all nodded in agreement.

"And I need my lab partner back." Kate smiled. "You can't expect me to do all the work by myself, can you?"

Sam looked around, shock spreading across his face as he realized that they were sincere in what they were saying and had yet to yell at him. "You guys really want me to come back?" He asked, a small bit of hope mingling its way into his voice.

"Course we do. We can't have the gang missing a member." James smirked.

Dean stood in the kitchen under the pretense of doing dishes while silently ease dropping on his brother and his friends. As he listened to what was being said, he found himself smiling, glad Sam had found such a supportive and protective group to belong to. Of course, he could beat them any day in the protection department but he was glad Sam had other people looking out for him too.

Sam nodded contemplating what had just happened. _How could they know and still want to be around me?_ He wondered. _Dean's seen them, he knows what happened and he loves me._ A smile graced his face as he looked at his friends, not just people who put up with him but his friends. "I don't know when but um… I'll… I'll be back."

"You better be." James answered.

DW/SW

"You guys wanna go grab something to eat?" Andy asked. They'd spent the past hour hanging out in Sam's living room and each one of them could see that Sam was finally starting to think that they actually did like him.

"Sure, like what?" Bobby asked sitting up.

"I don't know… anything." Andy replied just as his stomach growled causing the group to laugh. "What? A man's gotta eat." He said patting his stomach.

Sam smiled but wasn't sure if he wanted to go with them or not. He'd had fun hanging out with them and he thought they had too but would that change when they got out in public? Besides, he didn't have any money and didn't want to ask anyone to have to pay for him. "I'll be right back." He said walking down the hall and into Dean's room.

"Hey," Dean smiled when Sam walked into his room.

Sam returned the smile. "I think you were right." He said sitting on the bed.

Dean grinned. "I'm older, course I was right."

Sam shook his head laughing.

"So, if I was right then why are you in here and not out there with your friends?" Dean asked.

"They want to go grab something to eat and want me to come but I don't have any money." Sam explained.

"No problem." Dean pulled his wallet out of his pocket and handed Sam a twenty.

"Thanks." Sam replied folding the bill and sticking it in his pocket.

"Sammy, have fun okay." Dean said encouragingly. Dean knew the kid was probably a little apprehensive about this. After all, it was the first time since they'd met that Sam had hung out with someone without Dean there.

"You sure you won't miss me?" Sam asked confirming Dean's suspicions.

"Sam, it's only for a few hours, if that. Don't worry, we'll hang out tonight." He smiled.

"Okay, bye Dean." Sam got off the bed and walked back out to the living room.

"Bye kid." Dean replied.

DW/SW

"So, what kind are we getting or do you guys wanna get it by the slice?" Bobby asked after the five of them had slid into a booth.

"I don't know man, whichever one's quicker!" Andy growled hungrily.

"Doesn't matter to me." James replied.

"Fine, let's just get one big one then." Bobby decided. "That okay with you two?" He asked turning to Kate and Sam.

They both nodded.

They ended up ordering a large half cheese, half pepperoni pizza which Andy almost attacked as soon as it was set down on the table. After everyone's appetites had been satisfied, they paid the bill and headed to the local park down the street.

"What are we doing here?" Andy asked. "It's not even dark enough to play Man-hunt."

"Would you quit your bitching?" James asked annoyed.

"I'm just saying." Andy shrugged.

"Well then, what do you suggest we do?" Bobby asked.

"Man, I don't know but let's just do something to kill time." He groaned and then Bobby and Andy began to wrestle.

James ignored them and walked over to where Sam and Kate were sitting on the swings. He laughed silently while he watched Sam and Kate exchange nervous glances and smiles. Oh yeah, his friend was definitely crushing on the girl and it looked as if she had one on Sam as well.

A little while later, Bobby and Andy joined them looking tired and sweaty. "Who won?" James asked smirking.

Andy gave him the finger as he plopped down on the lawn. It was a known fact that Bobby always, always beat Andy when the two of them wrestled.

"What can I say, he's lean with no muscle where as me, look at these babies!" Bobby exclaimed flexing his arms for the group.

James snorted and laughed while Sam rolled his eyes. He had been surprised to find that he was actually having a good time and wasn't worried about what they thought of him as everyone treated him like they did before the rally. He was still nervous though as he was sitting beside a certain little someone.

A while later, the group decided to call it a night and James started making the rounds of drop-off.

"Bye Sam, see you soon!" His friends called.

"Bye!" He called back smiling as he walked up the steps and rang the doorbell. "It's me!" He shouted.

"Hey, you were gone longer than I thought you'd be." Dean said as he let Sam in.

Sam shrugged. "I had fun." He said almost sounding surprised as it still wasn't quite sinking in that he had friends to call his own.

"Good, where'd you guys go?" Dean asked.

"Just around town, oh, here's the change." He said pulling out a wad of crumpled up bills from his pocket.

"Nah, keep it." Dean said refusing to take it. "Come on." He said sitting down on the couch, Ace next to him.

"What are we watching?" Sam asked as he sat down next to his big brother. Ace moved and put his head in Sam's lap.

"Fear Factor." He answered. "Okay, that's just gross." Dean muttered a couple minutes later after they'd watched some girl be locked in a small cage with a ton of rats while having to dig out the key for the lock that was buried in their shit.

"Yeah, that is pretty disgusting." Sam smiled. He was quiet for a few minutes. "I was so scared when I saw them in the driveway." Sam started and Dean shut the TV off. "I thought, I thought that they'd all come to yell at me and tell me I was disgusting so when James said that they wanted to hang out, I thought he was lying."

"Aren't you glad you gave them a chance?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded. "They want me to come back."

Dean was quiet now. "You know you have to kiddo."

"I know." Sam answered. "And… and it might not be so bad now." He said.

"What do you mean?" He asked surprised. He thought that Sam would fight tooth and nail not to have to return to school.

Sam shrugged. "I don't know, I thought I'd be all alone… kind of like in the beginning but this time, it wouldn't be a fresh start and I'd just be a loner and a reject for the next four years. Thanks, by the way."

"For what?" Dean asked.

"For making me go hang out with them. I had fun and I think if you had let me stay home and sulk, I wouldn't have realized…" He drifted off and Dean heard the catch in his voice.

"Wouldn't have realized what Sammy?" Dean asked softly.

"That people like me. That… that they're not just putting up with me out of pity or something but that they want to be around me." He smiled and Dean felt like pumping his fist into the air.

_Take that Martin!_ He thought. He gave Sam's shoulder a squeeze. "People don't just like you Sam, they love you, especially me."

Sam wiped his eyes and nodded. "I know you do."

"Alright, I think that's enough chick-flick action for one night, don't you?" Dean asked turning the TV back on.

DW/SW

"Hey Sean," James said walking over to his brother-in-law. Today was their annual family get together.

"Hey," Sean replied. "What's up?"

"I saw Sam last night." He started.

Sean nodded. "How's he doing?" He asked. Dean had taken a couple days off from work to try and get Sam out of his latest funk.

"He didn't really want to hang out at first but we kind of forced him to."

"How'd that go?" He asked.

"Okay, I think." James was quiet for the next couple minutes. "Can I ask you something?"

"What?" Sean asked hesitantly. He had a feeling of what James was going to ask, he just didn't know how he was going to answer it.

"I didn't see the tape cause of you know but um, everybody told me about it. But, what happened to him?" James asked and Sean could see that the kid was genuinely concerned about his friend.

Sean thought about it for minute. He knew that he couldn't tell James everything, that it was Sam's choice and Sam's choice only. "Just know he's been through a lot. I mean, more than anybody should ever have to go through, let alone a seventeen year old kid."

"Like what?" James asked, saddened but also curious.

Sean sighed. He really wasn't sure how much he should or could give away. "Dean's the first person Sam's ever known who doesn't beat the shit out of him on a daily basis."

"He was abused?" James asked shocked but also having more pieces fall into place.

"Yeah but don't you dare go asking him about it. He'll tell you if, if he wants to but I doubt it." Sean answered.

"I won't." He promised. "And that's why he's so shy." He said more to himself than Sean.

"You think he's shy now, you should have seen him a year ago. He didn't talk. He could but Dean thinks he was afraid he'd say the wrong thing whatever that could be and get hit for it." He replied.

James nodded. His friend obviously had a past and was trying to overcome it but he knew that their classmates weren't making it easy on him.

DW/SW

It was another week before Sam finally felt okay enough to return to school. Dean had wanted him to go back sooner as he knew Sam would be missing a bit when it came time to have his surgeries done but Sam hadn't felt ready yet. During the past week, his friends had come over a couple of times either to work on homework or just hang out and he was becoming more comfortable around them as more time passed even with the knowledge that they'd seen his scars. He had been worried that they would either automatically assume or know what had happened and think he was disgusting for it or he'd be pressured into telling them the truth. Sam had been surprised when neither one happened. His friends acted as if they'd never seen the tape and they never questioned Sam about it, much to his relief.

After Dean had finally convinced him that he had to get out of the car sometime that day, Sam was now begrudgingly walking up the steps to the front of the school. He tried to walk confidently but wasn't being very successful and wondered if it would just be better to fake sick again.

He walked to his locker and was surprised to find his group waiting for him. "Hey guys."

"We hoped you'd show up today." James smiled. After talking to Sean, James was even more determined to not let anyone give Sam a hard time anymore.

Sam managed a small smile back and proceeded to open his locker.

"Got what you need?" Bobby asked as Kate flashed Sam a smile which caused his heart to start to beat faster.

"Ah yeah, I think so." He said zipping up his back pack.

"Great, let's go." Andy said as James led the way down the hall with Kate, Bobby and himself flanking Sam protectively on each side.

Walking with his friends and his crush down the hall, Sam suddenly didn't feel so alone and maybe, just maybe he'd be able to make it through the day for once.

* * *

Hey! So thanks for reading and I hope you'll leave me a review telling me what you thought of this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Once again THANKS for all your support. :)


	7. Chapter 7

Hi guys! Here's the next chapter. I'm not quite sure when the next chapter is going to be up. I know what it's going to have in it, I just gotta find the time to write it. I sort of felt like Dean was being abandoned so I did something (you have to read to find out... hehe.) but hopefully you guys can let me know what you think of it. Hopefully you'll think it's okay. Also, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the reviews, hits, favorites, etc... you guys are awesome!

So who is disappointed that there are NO commentaries with Jared or Jensen? I am! If they are on the DVD and I'm just being an oblivious little idiot could you please tell me where because I can't find them and I'm quite sad about it. Thanks! Who watched the gag reel? I thought that was hiliarious, I love those two dorks!

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you thought of it. Thank you! :)

* * *

It had been three days since Sam had returned to school and it was going smoother than he had thought it would. People would still stare and whisper as he walked down the halls until one of his friends would glare until the other person turned away. Sam kind of felt like he had his own personal security detail when his friends walked him to class just to make sure no one bothered him unnecessarily and he liked it. He felt protected, something he normally only felt when Dean was around. He was glad he had his friends; he knew he wouldn't have lasted this long without them.

"So you'll talk to Dean and then call me?" Kate asked as they walked out of science.

Sam nodded. They'd just been assigned a project where each team had to make a mousetrap racecar for their gravity unit.

"Awesome, have a good Thanksgiving. Bye Sam!" She said climbing into her mother's suburban. "And don't forget, call me!"

He smiled nervously and walked to the car.

"Hey," Dean smiled when Sam climbed in. He was beyond happy and relieved that so far every day when he'd picked Sam up, the kid had had a smile on his face. Hopefully, it was a sign that things were moving in the right direction.

Caught up in his own thoughts it took Sam a minute to respond.

"What are you smiling about so much?" Dean asked amused.

"Hunh, oh um, nothing… I'm just thinking." Sam answered.

"Thinking about what?" Dean asked. "Or should I ask who?"

Sam blushed causing Dean to smile.

DW/SW

The next day, Sam and Dean loaded up the trunk with drinks and headed to Mike's house for Thanksgiving. "Hey," Mike smiled and let them in. The place felt familiar to Sam and he found that he was a lot more at ease than he was last year. Everybody who had attended last year came again plus a few new guests. Mike's sister, Jenny and her husband, Mark had brought their two month old twins, Sarah and Emily and Mike had a surprise for Dean.

"Sam! How have you been my dear?" Carol asked as she placed a coke in front of him. Dean watched and smiled. Carol had taken an instant liking to Sam, although Dean wasn't quite sure how you couldn't like the kid. Mike had told Dean that his parents had had a few choice words to say when they'd found out about the bullies and Sam's troubles at school.

"I'm okay. Glad it's the break." Sam answered before taking a sip of his drink.

Seeing that Sam was okay with her, Dean wandered out into the house finding Mike talking with his sister and brother-in-law. He found it entertaining that his friend was holding a baby. "Isn't she cute?" Mike asked as he proudly showed off his niece.

Dean laughed a little. "She's a keeper." He smiled.

"I know she's just too precious!" Amy, Chris's new wife squealed. "I honestly want to take them home!"

"We just got married, don't go getting any ideas." Chris replied.

"I'll be back in a couple minutes, I'm gonna go check on Sam." Dean told Mike after listening to the conversation for a little while.

"Dude, I'm sure he's fine." Mike said earning a glare from Dean. He put his hands up in mock surrender.

Dean walked into the kitchen only to have Sam start laughing the moment he walked into the kitchen. "What?" He asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," Sam replied, a smile on his face as he stared at his older brother.

"We were just telling him stories Dean about you and Michael when the two of you were little." Bob, Mike's father explained.

"Oh god, do I even want to know?" He groaned knowing that a few of the stories were quite embarrassing. He stayed in the kitchen for a little while longer not minding being embarrassed if it would make his brother smile. After all, everybody had stories like that. "'Kay, I think I've had enough humiliation for one night." He winked at Sam and then grabbed his drink heading back out to the patio.

Mike looked at Dean. "So, how is he?" He asked.

"He's fine. Your parents are telling him stories… 'bout you and me." They both grimaced.

"Did they tell him the one about us when we were five and thought it would be fun to drive our little cars down the sidewalk butt-naked?" Mike asked.

"Yup." Dean replied. "Oh well, he's having fun and that's all that matters."

"I want you to meet someone." Mike said.

"Dude," Dean groaned. "I don't need help meeting people."

"No you don't Dean but you never go out, now come on I promise she's great and hot too." He whispered the last part. Dean sighed and followed Mike. "Rachel, this is Dean, the one I was telling you about."

She turned away from the conversation and smiled at Dean. "Hi,"

Dean smiled back. _She's not hot, she's fucking gorgeous_ Dean thought as he introduced himself. Rachel had sparkling green eyes, sort of reddish brown hair and a fantastic smile. "So, are you new to town? I think I would have remembered seeing you before."

She nodded. "Just moved here last week actually."

"Where ya from?" Dean asked watching as Mike silently slipped away.

"Cicero, so not too far away." Rachel answered.

"If you want I could show you around some time." Dean suggested.

"I'd like that." Rachel smiled again.

"Dean, I hate to interrupt but would you mind holding her for a few minutes?" Jenny asked.

"Oh sure Jenny," He said setting his drink down on the coffee table to free up his hands. First he took the burp cloth and set it over his shoulder. Once that was settled, she gently passed the baby girl over to him. Emily opened her eyes revealing them to be a light blue color and at first Dean thought she was going to start to cry but Emily sighed and settled back to sleep.

"Do you mind if I go get something to drink?" She asked once they realized that Dean knew what he was doing and Emily seemed content.

"Go ahead." He whispered softly not wanting to wake Emily.

Jenny smiled, thanked Dean and stood up walking into the kitchen.

"You look good with a baby." Rachel commented.

Dean laughed a little. "Yeah, not really used to this but seeing as I'm basically her uncle, I gotta get used to it."

She nodded. Mike had explained how close he and Dean were and how they had practically grown up together.

"So what made you move to our little town?" He asked after a couple minutes had passed.

"School, I'm going to the local junior college. It's cheaper here than in Cicero." She explained. "What about you? What do you do?"

"Mechanic, I've got my own shop too… inherited it from my dad." Dean answered.

"Oh, that's pretty cool. So you're a car junky?" She asked.

Dean smiled. "Pretty much, always been a fan of classics. My brother thinks I'm a little obsessed."

"Your brother, is he here?" She asked.

"Ah yeah, I think he's either in the kitchen or outside. Are you an only child?" He asked.

"No, I've got two younger sisters and an older brother." She replied.

"Cool, big family." He said shifting Emily a little. They continued to talk for a few minutes and then Jenny came back. She set her plate and her drink down on the side table. "Thanks so much Dean. I hardly ever get a few minutes. I hope she wasn't too much trouble."

"She was fine, don't worry about it." He said gently handing the sleeping baby back to her mother.

"Um, do you want to get some food?" Rachel asked.

"Sure." Dean said grabbing his coke. "Bye Jenny."

"Bye Dean." Jenny said.

"Give me one sec," Dean said seeing that Sam wasn't in the kitchen anymore. He walked out into the yard where he spotted Sam playing fetch with Ranger and Bella. He smiled a little while he watched Sam for a moment, glad to see his brother enjoying himself again. "Hey, dinner's ready kid."

"Oh okay," Sam replied throwing the ball one last time before following Dean into the house. "Um Rachel this is my younger brother Sam. Sammy, this is Rachel." Dean said introducing the two of them.

"Hi," She smiled sweetly.

He smiled back and picked up a plate.

After the three of them had gotten their plates full, they walked to the dining room where the rest of the family was seated. Mike smiled when he saw Rachel and Dean together. He'd met Rachel at a party recently and though they hadn't clicked romantically, they'd become friends and he thought she'd be perfect for Dean. His friend needed to get out and meet some people.

Sam sat back and watched as his older brother flirted with the young woman. He felt jealous in a way, wishing he could be like that with Kate. Soon enough the evening winded down and the guests were slowly leaving. "We should go out sometime." Rachel said smiling.

"We should." Dean agreed.

"Here's my number, call me." She handed Dean a slip of paper and then walked to her red Jetta.

Dean smiled and put the paper in his pocket though he knew the next couple weeks would be busy. Sam's first surgery was scheduled to happen in a little over two weeks. "You ready to go?" Dean asked turning to Sam.

Sam nodded and walked to the car after he and Dean had said goodbye to Mike.

DW/SW

"I have a question, well a couple questions." Sam said after joining Dean on the couch the next afternoon.

"I'm all ears." Dean said turning to face his younger brother.

"First can you help Kate and me on a project?" He asked.

"What project?" Dean asked.

"It's um, it's for science. We're having a class competition as our unit activity. We're having a car race." Sam smiled; he knew Dean would like that.

"I like your teacher." Dean smiled.

Sam laughed a little. "Anyways, we have to build racecars out of mousetraps." Sam explained.

"Yeah, I'll help you guys. You said you had a couple?" Dean asked.

"How do you know when you like someone?" Sam asked.

"What do you mean by like as in a friend or something more?" Dean asked.

"More than a friend…" Sam answered.

"Well um, what happens when you see her?" Dean asked knowing who the lucky lady was.

"I get nervous… I mean, I know that's not a big deal. I'm nervous around everyone." Sam was rambling.

"Take a breath," Dean instructed. "Kay by nervous do you mean your heart speeds up and your hands sweat?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded.

"Do you think about her a lot?" He smiled when Sam nodded again. "Well, well, I'd say there's a very lucky lady out there." He grinned, nudging Sam in the arm.

Sam blushed. He didn't think he was a good catch at all. He'd never been with anyone before and he had no clue what to do in these kinds of situations. He was the shy, nervous guy, not exactly boyfriend material. And besides that what kind of girl would want a guy with Sam's past? "I don't know if she's lucky if I like her. I mean, I don't know how that works at all and what if I'm just…" He drifted off.

"What if you're what?" Dean asked starting to get concerned.

"What if I'm lying to myself?" Sam asked.

"Sam, you're confusing me. What are you talking about, lying to yourself?" Dean asked.

"I've really only been with guys… what if…" He said turning away from Dean.

"Sammy," Dean said placing his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Please look at me." He pleaded.

Sam slowly turned back around and looked up at his big brother uncertainty shining in his eyes.

"You haven't been with anyone kid. Those bastards forced themselves on you, it doesn't count. It wasn't your choice. If you think you like Kate, I say you give it a shot." Dean smiled a little. "I'm not saying you have to tell her how you feel or anything, just be open. You never know what might happen."

"I wish I could be like you." He said quietly.

"Why?" Dean asked.

"You're confidant and sure of yourself." Sam answered.

"Sammy, you don't have to be like me kiddo, just be yourself. Don't sell yourself short okay." Dean reassured even though he was slightly flattered that his brother looked up to him that much. "Any girl would be lucky to have you be interested in them."

Now it was Sam's turn to look confused.

"You're sweet Sam. You're not like other guys your age and I mean that in a good way. Most of us when we get a girlfriend for the first time we start acting like the top dog and end up being dicks. I know you won't treat Kate like that. And you're funny, you are. Making sure you make your girl laugh is important. You'll do just fine kid, I know you will but just in case this doesn't work out, there's plenty more fish in the sea alright."

He nodded thinking about what Dean had just told him. "I guess I should call Kate, tell her you said yes." Sam said getting up from the couch and walking into the kitchen.

Dean could hear his brother stalling and decided to give him a push. "Sam, would you call the girl already please?" He sighed.

Sam took a deep breath and dialed Kate's number with shaky fingers. "Um… hi, it's Sam, is Kate home?" He asked hoping he didn't sound too nervous.

"One moment please." Kate's mother, Sheryl, said. "Kate, you have a phone call. It's a boy named Sam."

Kate smiled; glad he'd decided to call her. "Hey," she said.

"Hey," He replied back. There was a bit of awkward silence as both were nervous.

"So, did you talk to Dean?" She finally asked.

"Yeah, he said he'd help us." Sam answered.

"Awesome, so when do you want to get started? I know it's not due until after our next break but ya know…" She asked. "We could do it over the break if you're gonna be around."

"I will be." He said. _Shit_ he thought as he remembered that he was supposed to have his first surgery over the break. "Actually Dean just told me that um, he's not sure what we're doing so I guess I'll figure it out and then I don't know, call you later." He said thinking he sounded like a total idiot.

"Okay, that's fine. How was your Thanksgiving?" She asked.

Sam was shocked that the conversation was continuing and it took him a minute to answer. "It… it was fine. We went to Mike's house." He replied.

"Ask her about hers." Dean told him from where he sat on the couch when Sam didn't say anything else.

"Um, how was yours?" He asked.

"Great. I went to my grandparents' house and saw all my cousins so it was fun. Ugh, my sister needs the phone apparently." She said glaring at her sister who was mimicking her. "Thanks for calling and I'll see you on Monday."

"Yeah, bye." Sam said hanging up the phone.

Dean gave him an expectant look. "Well…?" He asked.

"She asked if we could do it over the break." Sam said walking over to his brother with a torn look on his face. "I'm gonna be around but not exactly up to doing anything."

"Does she know what you're going to be doing over the break?" Dean asked.

Sam shook his head no.

_Course she doesn't. I bet James doesn't either._ "Are you gonna tell her?" He asked.

"Do you think I should?" Sam asked wanting his big brother's advice. It was something he'd debated a lot about recently. He didn't know if he should or if he even wanted to tell his friends about it. He didn't know what their reaction would be and things had finally started to look better, he didn't want anything to ruin it.

"I don't know Sam. It's up to you but if they ask you to hang out then and you ya know can't. Tell 'em why." Dean answered. "It can't hurt anything."

Sam nodded. "I'll think about it."

Sam spent the rest of the weekend doing homework and hanging out with Dean as the majority of his friends were away for the holiday. Dean scheduled a date with Rachel for the coming Friday and he'd been surprised when Sam had been okay with that. Of course the kid could just be saying so and Dean knew he'd have to watch him closely for any indication of the opposite.

DW/SW

Sam had been listening to his friends discuss plans for their two week long winter break and knew he wouldn't be able to join in. "You can count me out." He said regretting that fact and not meaning for them to hear him.

"What? Why?" James asked.

"Ah…." Sam looked around. _Well, I guess I gotta tell 'em now_ he thought.

"Are you guys going somewhere?" Andy asked.

Sam shook his head. "No, I'll be here."

"Then why can't we hang out?" James asked very confused.

"What about our project? I thought we were going to work on it?" Kate asked.

Sam looked at his friends and suddenly felt like he was letting them down. "I'm sorry." He said before grabbing his backpack and walking away from the table.

"Sam, wait!" James ran up to him and grabbed his arm. "What is it?" He asked. Kate, Andy and Bobby had gotten up from the table and joined Sam and James.

"C'mon man, you can tell us. We're friends right?" Andy asked and Sam thought he saw genuine concern in his friend's eyes.

"I'm um… I kind of have to have this thing done." He said quietly.

"What thing? Are you okay?" Kate asked concerned.

_Why the hell are they so concerned about me_ Sam asked himself. "I'm… I'm fine. It's nothing, just a little procedure." Sam replied.

"What? Procedure? Sam, what's going on?" Bobby asked.

"It's nothing, really, it's just…" He drifted off.

"Just what?" James asked. "Sam, would you please just tell us already because I think we're all thinking you're like gonna die or something!"

"I'm not gonna die." Sam smiled a little.

"Then what is it?" Kate asked softly.

"Dean… Dean called a plastic surgeon a while ago." Sam started.

"A plastic surgeon, what for?" Bobby and Andy asked completely confused.

"Sam," Kate shot them a look and then turned to Sam. "Is it for your you know, your… your scars?" She asked.

Sam nodded as tears pricked his eyes and he hastily wiped them away, not wanting his friends to see him cry.

"Can we ask why you're doing this?" James asked as they all chose to ignore the fact that Sam had tears in his eyes, they didn't think Sam would want them to acknowledge that fact.

Sam was quiet and sniffled a little. "I don't want to have to deal with them anymore and… and I know that this won't get rid of them completely but it'll help."

James nodded. "So, what's gonna happen?"

"I um, I go in on the twenty-first. It's an outpatient procedure so I get to come home later that day but um apparently it's gonna be painful for a while afterwards so I don't think I'm gonna be up to doing much." Sam explained. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," James reassured.

"I'm gonna miss a lot of school because there's going to be two more after this one so…" He drifted off.

"Don't worry, we'll make sure you don't miss out on too much." Bobby smiled.

"Hey Sam?" Andy asked.

"Yeah," Sam replied.

"Why didn't you tell us about this earlier?" He asked.

Sam shrugged. "I guess I um, I didn't know what you guys would think." He said quietly now feeling a bit bad that he hadn't trusted them.

"You're our friend Sam. We just want to make sure you're okay." James smiled a little. "So, if you're not gonna be up to hanging out over the break, why don't we make tomorrow be a guy's night out?" He suggested. "That okay with you?"

After a moment Sam nodded. "Yeah… yeah, I guess."

Kate smiled glad that James had asked Sam to have a night out. She knew he needed it. "And don't worry about the project okay, we can figure something out."

Sam felt a wave of relief wash over him and he found he was glad he told his friends what was going on. It was better than stressing over what their possible reactions might be. "Thanks guys." He said with a smile.

"For what?" They all asked in unison.

Sam shook his head. "Just thanks." And with that they walked back to their table to finish their lunch.

DW/SW

"I told them." Sam said as he climbed into the car.

"And what did they say?" Dean asked.

"They said it was okay and that they'd make sure I didn't miss out on too much." Sam explained.

"Told you it was nothing to worry about it." Dean smiled. "So are you and James still hanging out tomorrow night?"

Sam nodded. "And Bobby and Andy… guy's night out."

Dean laughed; he remembered having those in high school. Of course he still had them but the content of the night had changed.

"And um, is it okay if Kate comes over on Saturday to work on our project?" Sam asked.

"Sure." Dean smiled; glad Sam had followed his advice and was starting to trust his friends a bit more.

DW/SW

"Alright, I'll pick you up around eleven okay?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded.

"Bye kid, have fun and call me if you need anything." He said as Sam closed the door.

"You too. Bye Dean." Sam said before walking towards his friends' house.

After making sure that Sam got in okay, Dean restarted the car and drove towards Rachel's apartment close to the local community college. He smoothed down his shirt, grabbed the flowers and walked up to her door. "Hi," She smiled somewhat nervously. "Come in."

"Hi," He replied thinking she looked stunning. She was wearing a white cotton dress that showed off her tan skin in all the right places and a pair of sandals. "You look really, really nice."

She smirked a little. "You don't look so bad yourself handsome." He was wearing a black button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up at the elbows, a white t-shirt on underneath and dark wash jeans.

Dean laughed a little. "These are for you." He said handing her the flowers.

"Thanks," She said walking into the kitchen. "So, what's the plan for tonight?" She asked as she put the flowers in a vase.

"I thought we'd go grab a bite to eat then walk around for a bit? That sound okay?" He asked.

"Sounds great, okay, let's go." She said grabbing her purse and then they were off.

DW/SW

James had let Sam in and he walked somewhat nervously into the living room. James introduced Sam to his parents and his younger brother and then the two went to hang out in his room until the rest of the guys showed up.

About fifteen minutes later, the four of them piled into James's jeep and drove towards town.

DW/SW

Dean and Rachel had been walking around town for a while, enjoying the other's company. "You want some?" Dean asked seeing the sign outside the bagel shop that advertised hot chocolate.

"Sure." Rachel answered. "Thanks but let me pay, you paid for dinner."

"Nope, tonight's on me but it's alright because you can pay next time." He smirked before walking up to the counter.

Rachel laughed a little and followed him in.

"Hi, ah, can I get two hot chocolates?" Dean asked paying more attention to his wallet than the cashier.

Jack stared stunned and somewhat ashamed when he saw Dean walk in. He panicked for a moment before he let his tough guy mask fall back in place. "So how'd you get her to go out with you? Did you have to hide the loser away for the night?"

Dean's head snapped up and then he smirked. "Make good money here Jack?" He asked.

Jack looked down, a teacher's salary hadn't been much but this was worse. "It's his fault I'm working here."

Rachel stood to the side watching quietly, she wasn't sure what was going on.

"It's his fault!" Dean asked incredulously. He leaned over the counter and grabbed the front of Jack's uniform. "Please tell me what a seventeen year old kid did to make you act like a dick? It's not his fault, it never will be and for the record she knows Sammy and she's still going out with me. So who's the loser now Jack? The guy who's on an awesome date with a really cool chick and an amazing little brother waiting for him or the guy working the counter at the bagel shop because he tried to act macho and lost his job?"

"Dean," Rachel said tugging on Dean's jacket sleeve when she saw the manager walking towards them. "Let's go."

He growled and shoved Jack backwards and then stormed out of the place. Stopping by a nearby bench he tried to calm himself down and raked a hand through his hair. "Sorry." He apologized to Rachel.

"It's okay." She smiled sympathetically. "Who was that guy?"

Dean sat down on the bench and motioned for her to join him. "He used to be Sam's PE teacher. The guy liked to play favorites but unfortunately Sam wasn't on his list because sports aren't really his thing. He's more into books and all of that kind of stuff. But the guy made Sam's life hell and when the principle found out, he was fired. He still blames the kid for it."

"Sounds like an ass." She said after Dean was done.

"He is. We used to be high school rivals and he wasn't, isn't too happy that I could beat him pretty easily and took that out on Sam. Anyways, enough about that… how about we go find another place?" He said changing the subject.

She nodded and took Dean's hand as they walked down the street.

DW/SW

"So did you have a good time?" Dean asked when he picked Sam up from James's house after dropping Rachel back off. They'd agreed to go out again but hadn't scheduled it yet.

"Yeah, I did, I really did." He said with a smile.

"I'm glad to hear that kiddo, what did you guys do?" He asked.

"Um we drove around for a bit, went to the drive through and got Jack-in-the-box then we went back to James's house and played video games until you showed up." Sam answered.

Dean smiled. He was glad his brother had found friends who treated him like he was normal because even with his brother's past, he was after all still a seventeen year old kid, who wanted to have friends, go to school and be able to get a girlfriend when he wanted to.

DW/SW

The next afternoon around one, Kate arrived with the mousetrap and they set up shop in the living room. "Okay, let me see the instructions." Dean said after joining the two of them.

"Thanks for helping us." Kate said as she opened her binder and took the paper out.

"Not a problem." Dean said reading through the guidelines. "Let me go get something and then we can get started."

Sam and Kate nodded and watched as Dean walked away both shooting each other friendly smiles. He came back a few minutes later with a small cardboard box and his tool box. "Alright, so what were you guys thinking of doing?" He asked.

Sam and Kate shrugged. "I do think we should make it as aerodynamic as possible." Kate replied.

Sam nodded.

"Okay." Dean thought for a minute. "Alright so if you look at the most aerodynamic racecars, they're all narrow and low to the ground. I think that's what we should do."

Sam rolled his eyes at his big brother. Granted they were working on a racecar but still, at times it seemed like his brother could relate anything to cars.

"Hey, you want my help or not?" Dean asked.

"Fine, fine, fine." Sam muttered. "Do it your way."

"Let me see the mousetrap please." Dean said putting his hand out.

"Okay, what do you guys think about three wheels?" Dean asked.

"Like one in the front and two in the back?" Sam asked.

"Yeah and I doubt anyone will use that design so it'll be unique." Dean answered. "What do you think?"

Sam shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"I say we go for it." Kate said in agreement.

"Awesome," Dean smiled and began to instruct Sam and Kate on how to make their three wheeled racecar. Within an hour it was finished and both were feeling relieved that they no longer had to worry about it. "Let's see how well it works." Dean said.

Sam put the car down on the hardwood floor, pulled back the rubber band and the three of them were surprised that it went halfway across the floor. "I think we've got a winner." He smiled.

"Good job!" Kate said happily as she high fived Sam.

Dean laughed a little at the blush that was creeping into his brother's cheeks.

After Sam and Kate had spent a little more time together eating lunch, Dean and Sam drove Kate home. "Bye Sam, thanks again Dean." She said waving goodbye.

* * *

Hey! Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know and THANKS again! :)


	8. Chapter 8

Hey guys, here's ch. 8. I took some liberties with the medical profession just to make it work for our situation but it's nothing too major. Thanks for all of the review and continued support. As always, constructive critism is always welcome. Enjoy and please let me know what you thought! Thanks again! :)

* * *

It had been a long day and Dean knew tomorrow would be even longer. Tomorrow was going to be Sam's first surgery. They had to arrive at the hospital at nine and Sam's surgery was scheduled to start at ten thirty. If things went well, the kid would be home by late afternoon or early evening. "Okay, I'll see you in the morning and remember everything's going to be fine." He said offering Sam a smile.

Sam tried to smile back and nodded before walking into his room even though he really didn't want to be alone right now. He was scared and nervous and a big part of him wanted his big brother but they hadn't shared a bed since school had started and Sam didn't know if it would be awkward or not.

Sam lay in his bed with Ace cuddled up next to him but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't fall asleep, his mind too full with worry. Sighing, he got out of bed and made his way to Dean's room. "Dean…?" He asked quietly. "Dean…"

"Sammy, what are you doing up?" He asked tiredly. He glanced at his bedside clock and saw that it was half past midnight.

"I… I can't sleep." Sam admitted in a shaky voice.

Dean sat up. "Why not?" He asked causing Sam to shrug. Dean reached up and turned the light on and that was when he saw the tear tracks on his brother's face. "Aw kid, come here." He said putting his arms out.

Sam nearly tried to fold himself into his brother's warm and protective embrace as he buried his face in the crook of Dean's neck.

"What's the matter?" Dean asked as he softly caressed Sam's hair. He could feel his shirt growing wet and wasn't sure what the problem was. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?" He guessed.

Sam nodded though that was only part of it. He'd been thinking about what would happen to him if Dean did get a girlfriend. Would that mean he was being replaced or would he have to move out if they wanted to get married and have kids? He knew he had to live on his own at some point but he really didn't want that to be now or really anytime soon. The more he thought about it, the more upset he got.

"Shh, Sammy, shh… I've got you." Dean cooed. "It's gonna be okay, hunh, tomorrow's going to be fine." He could feel Sam shaking and he wasn't sure if the surgery was all that was on his brother's mind. Sam had seemed almost excited about it only a few days ago. "What are you nervous about?" He asked after they'd sat in silence for a while.

Sam shrugged so Dean kept his arm around Sam's shoulders and smiled softly. "Come on kiddo, talk to me." He pleaded.

"I'm scared." Sam's voice hitched and he bit his lip to try and stop from crying.

"I know you are but it's going to be fine." Dean reassured. He felt like he'd been saying those words a lot recently. "It'll only take a few hours and then you get to come home and rest and I'll take care of you."

"No, that's um…. That's not it." He said quietly.

"Then what is it?" Dean asked a bit confused and concerned.

"I'm gonna be unconscious Dean… with… with a group of people around me, people I don't know and… and what if they you know…" Sam couldn't continue but Dean got the message and thought that with Sam's past, that was both a valid point and fear. Sam was slowly getting better and Dean had been so happy that Sam had spent some time hanging out with kids his own age but he still didn't like crowded places, especially around people he didn't know and he almost never went to an unfamiliar place without Dean first.

Dean pulled Sam close again and rubbed his back. "I promise Sam, no one is going to hurt you okay. I won't let them."

"But Dean you won't be there." Sam argued and that might have been the scariest fact for him. Sure, he'd started to occasionally hang out with people without Dean there but his brother was always just a phone call away, now though, that wouldn't be an option.

Dean thought about it and then remembered a Seinfeld episode he'd seen where Kramer had watched an operation through the observation window. "I might not be in the room with you but I can still make sure you're alright."

"How?" Sam asked unsure of how Dean could help to alleviate his fears.

"Operation rooms usually have observation rooms where interns and medical students can watch from and learn. I can watch from one of those, keep an eye on you." Dean explained.

"Will they let you do that?" He asked beginning to feel a little bit better. The fact that Dean was trying to come up with ways to reassure him went a long way in making Sam feel a bit more confidant.

"I'd like to see them try and stop me." Dean smirked. He'd do anything to help the kid feel a bit more at ease.

Sam nodded. "Thanks," He said quietly.

Dean tilted his head to the side. "For what?" He asked.

"For watching over me." Sam smiled a little.

Dean smiled softly, there was nothing to thank him for. Watching over Sam was part of being his big brother, he was sure it was a job requirement. He glanced back towards his bed. "You wanna spend the rest of the night here?" He asked knowing that there was a good chance that it would calm his brother down and it might actually allow him to get some sleep.

Sam nodded and crawled under the covers. Dean shut the light off and lay down beside Sam. "Come here," He said wrapping his arms around him. "Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

Sam nodded again but didn't close his eyes. He couldn't fall asleep and rest, not until he knew that he wasn't going to be replaced or forgotten but he didn't know how to voice that fear. "Um Dean?" He asked grimacing and hoping his brother was still awake.

"Yes Sam?" Dean asked cautiously. "Sam what?" Dean repeated when his brother didn't elaborate.

"How… how serious are you and um and Rachel?" He asked, his voice sounding harsh when he said her name.

"We're hardly serious Sam. I mean we've only gone out on one date." Dean answered keeping his eyes closed.

"So, you guys don't want to move in together or… or anything?" Sam asked, a little bit of hope mingling its way into his voice.

"Definitely not, we're a long way off from that. We're just having fun, I mean, I have no idea how long this is going to actually last." He answered.

"Good." Sam said relieved as he laid his head back on Dean's chest.

Dean huffed. "What, you don't want me to have girlfriend?" He asked having no idea how right he actually was.

Sam grimaced. "Would you get mad at me if I said yes?"

That got Dean's attention, he had only been joking. "Sammy, why don't you want me to have a girlfriend?" He asked seriously

Sam shrugged.

"No, you're not shrugging your way out of this one." Dean said. "Why don't you want Rachel and me to go out?" He asked.

Sam didn't answer and began to fidget.

"Sam," Dean warned.

"I just… when… when I see you with her, I just…" He stopped.

"You just what?" Dean asked.

"I get scared and I guess I get a little jealous." Sam answered quietly.

"What? Why would you get scared or jealous?" Dean asked concerned.

Sam turned away from Dean. "Please don't get mad at me or think I'm selfish but I just thought that maybe she was gonna you know... take you away from me."

"How would she do that?" Dean asked wanting to get inside his brother's head. Sam's conclusions had a tendency to surprise him and it was sounding like this would be another one.

"I thought that maybe if you guys got serious and she moved in then…" He drifted.

"Then you would have to move out, is that it?" Dean asked.

"Basically." He didn't know how many guys liked having their younger brother's in the house when they had a serious girlfriend living with them and he doubted Dean would be any different.

"Sammy, listen to me and listen good." He said sitting up and looking his brother in the eye. "Rachel's a cool chick but there's no way she compares with you okay. You're my little brother, the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about before I fall asleep. You mean everything to me Sam, no one and I mean no one could ever replace you okay."

Sam nodded, tears shining in his eyes.

Dean wiped them away before he continued. "Let me put it this way. If you and Rachel were hanging off of a cliff and I could only save one of you, I'd save you Sam, no doubt in my head it would be you. So you've got nothing worry about kid, you know this is your house and you won't ever be kicked out of it just because of some girl." Dean decided his brother needed a chick flick moment and continued. "Same goes with my heart alright."

A small smile lit up Sam's face. "Love you too Dean." He whispered.

Dean tightened his hold on Sam and smiled a little when he felt Sam snuggle closer before finally falling asleep. He sighed and thought about Rachel, he was going to have to have a talk with her because he'd never put a girl before Sam.

Dean woke up around seven the next morning and took a shower before waking Sam. "Come on Sammy, it's time to get ready." He said brushing the bangs off of his brother's forehead.

Sam woke up but didn't move.

"It's gonna be fine." Dean reassured. _How many times had he said that in the past few days?_ "Do you want to take a shower before we go?"

Sam nodded and walked into the bathroom. Half an hour later Sam was showered and dressed in a pair of sweatpants, a baggy shirt of Dean's and a warm sweatshirt. "I'll see you in a bit boy." He said giving Ace a hug and taking a deep breath. He was nervous beyond words.

Dean smiled and put his hand on Sam's shoulder before leading him out to the car.

DW/SW

Dean and Sam walked through the hospital's front entrance and took the elevator up to the third floor. Dean got Sam signed in and then a nurse came to lead them to the room that Sam would be brought back to after his surgery. She handed Sam a thin hospital gown and asked him to go into the bathroom to change before leaving.

Once Sam headed into the bathroom, Dean left and quickly found the nurse. He explained their situation without giving away Sam's secret and was surprised when the nurse told him it wouldn't be a problem. He thanked her and walked back to Sam's room, happy that Linda had recommended this particular hospital.

"Sammy, you coming out anytime soon?" Dean asked when it felt like his brother had been in the bathroom for an extended period of time.

The lock clicked and Sam silently walked over to the hospital bed laying down on it. Dean followed Sam and took a seat in the chair next to the bed. "How ya holding up?" Dean asked.

Sam was quiet. "I can't do this."

Dean leaned close to Sam and took his brother's chin in his hand forcing Sam to look at him. "Yes you can," He encouraged. "This is a good thing Sam and I know it seems a little scary but…"

Sam cut him off. "No, I just realized that this must be costing you a fortune." Sam's statement took Dean back to when the two of them had first met and Dean had wanted to buy Sam some clothes. Sam had tried to decline the offer saying he was used goods and that was what he would get. Dean thought he'd kill himself if Sam's next words were 'I don't deserve it' or that kind of crap. They'd come too far to go back to that mindset.

"Nah, it's nothing Sam. You know I didn't even think about the cost to tell you the truth." He said even though the total of the three surgeries were coming to around six grand.

"You didn't?" Sam asked surprised though he knew he shouldn't be, his brother never thought about the cost of things when it came to him.

"Not at first. When I heard that there might be something that could help you, seeing you smile again… I can't put a price on that." Dean explained.

"How much?" Sam asked.

Dean shook his head. "That's not for you to worry about." He said firmly. "So I was thinking maybe after all of this is said and done we could take your Explorer out." Sam had driven a few times but not enough and Dean was hoping that if he picked up that skill, it would help add to his confidence. Dean spent the next half hour talking about anything that came to mind just to keep Sam calm until it was time.

Sam stiffened when there was a knock on the door about forty-five minutes later. The nurse from before and an orderly stepped into the room. "It's time," She said with a friendly smile.

Dean nodded and gave Sam a reassuring smile as his brother laid back on the bed turning his head towards the wall.

"Dean, you can walk with us for a little while if you'd like." She said sensing that it might calm her patient.

He gave her a thankful look and took Sam's hand in his returning the strong grip. Once they reached the first set of doors that led to the operation rooms, the nurse and the orderly stepped back letting Dean and Sam have a moment. Dean leaned down over the railing of Sam's bed and softly nuzzled his face against Sam's. "You'll be alright." Sam nodded trying to be brave even though he was terrified. "I'll be the first one you see, I promise." Dean wiped a thumb over Sam's tears.

Sam took a breath and gulped. "You'll… you'll be watching."

"I'm always watching over you." He kissed Sam's forehead and smiled. "I'll see you soon kiddo."

The nurse and the orderly walked forward and Dean stood watching in the hall until Sam's bed disappeared behind the automated doors.

DW/SW

Sam lay on the operating table counting to one hundred and remembering Dean's promise that he would be watching trying to keep calm. The truth though, was that he was scared out of his wits as he was wheeled into the operating room. The thought that someone might do something to him without him even knowing it freaked him out beyond belief and he was having an incredibly hard time fighting back tears. It was one thing letting Dean see him cry but a completely different thing when it was someone he didn't know and someone who might use it against him.

A middle aged man with salt and pepper hair stepped up to the side of the bed and Sam unconsciously moved away. If the man noticed Sam's evasive behavior, he ignored it. "Hi Sam, I'm Dr. Roberts. I'll be your anesthesiologist." He offered Sam a reassuring smile.

Sam watched as Dr. Roberts turned to a tray behind him and then turned back to face him. "I'm just going to place this over your mouth and nose and then I want you to take a big deep breath for me alright."

Sam closed his eyes and felt the doctor lift his head up to slip the mask on over his nose and mouth.

"Take a deep breath Sam and then count to ten and let it out alright." He instructed.

Sam tried to follow the man's instructions despite the fear and nerves running through him. _I want Dean, please I just want Dean!_ His mind screamed right before he succumbed to the darkness.

DW/SW

Dean had been shown to the observation room that overlooked the operation hall where his brother was. He sat down and as hard as it was to watch, he sat with his eyes glued to the room not twenty feet from him. He had promised Sam that he'd watch and that was exactly what he was planning on doing. Dean watched as the anesthesiologist approached Sam and knew his brother would be terrified and it killed him that he couldn't be there to comfort Sam.

DW/SW

Dr. Harris entered the operating room after he'd been scrubbed in and had on his protective gown. The tension in the room was heavy because Dr. Harris and his team knew that even though this wasn't defined as 'life-saving' surgery, it was life-altering. The people or rather the kids that Dr. Harris and his team helped came from all walks of life but they all had one thing in common. They all had been traumatized in one way or another and suffered from physical consequences and reminders.

He'd heard Sam's story from an old friend, Linda Grier, she'd been a nurse when he was fresh out of med school. She had called him saying that one of her kids needed his help. He'd suffered from brutal abuse which resulted in severe scarring on most of his body. Dr. Harris had agreed to see the teen and do whatever he could to help him.

Dr. Harris walked over to where Sam lay on the operating table and asked for the laser. Once his assistant had passed it over to him, he turned the machine on and let it warm up for a moment. After getting it to the temperature needed to help reduce Sam's scars, he placed it about two inches above the boy's chest.

For the next three hours he worked methodically and flawlessly with his team beside him. First he held the laser over Sam's abdomen and collar bone before moving to his arms. Once that was done, he focused on diminishing the burn that went across Sam's stomach by using another specialized laser. A while later he briefly looked up at the nurse and signaled that the surgery was winding down and to go let Dean know he'd talk to him in a few moments. She nodded and left as he finished up.

DW/SW

Dean stood up when Dr. Harris walked into the private waiting room. "How is he?" He asked.

Dr. Harris smiled. "From what we can tell it went fine." He walked over to the wall and placed a couple pictures up on the board.

"Is that Sammy?" Dean asked.

Dr. Harris nodded. "Before I let you go see him, I want to explain to you just what it was that we did."

Even though Dean did want to hear what the doctor had to say, he'd made a promise and he intended on keeping it. "How long is this gonna take because I told him I'd be there when he woke up."

Dr. Harris nodded understandingly. "Go see him, we'll talk before he's released."

Dean stopped and shook the doctor's hand. "Thanks for everything. We really appreciate it."

He shook his head dismissively. "All in a day's work."

DW/SW

Dean had been sitting by his brother's side for the past twenty minutes waiting for the kid to wake up. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair when he thought he saw Sam's fingers twitch. He picked Sam's hand up and gave it a little squeeze. "I'm here Sammy." He said hoping the sound of his voice would help his brother come around.

Sam groaned and moved his head towards the direction of Dean's voice.

Still holding Sam's hand, Dean leaned closer and brushed his other hand through Sam's bangs. "Come on kid, wake up." Dean encouraged.

Sam groaned again and a moment later his eyes fluttered open.

Dean smiled and offered his brother a small 'hey'.

Sam tried to say something but all that came out was a croak.

"You want some water?" Dean asked grabbing the cup with ice chips from the side of the bed.

"Thanks." Sam said after the water soothed his throat.

Dean just smiled and pressed the button for the nurses' station. "He's awake now." He said without turning around when he heard the door open.

A few minutes later Dr. Harris entered the room and walked over to Sam's bedside. "How are you feeling Sam, any pain?" He asked.

"A little, yeah." Sam answered causing a frown to appear on Dean's face.

"What kind of pain? Does it feel more like burning or stinging sensation?" He asked trying to figure out which pain medication would work best for the young teen.

"Um… burning, I guess." Dr. Harris nodded.

"I'll write up a stronger dose for you." He answered.

Sam tugged on Dean's jacket sleeve regretting it almost instantly as it sent pins and needles down his arm.

Dean cupped the back of Sam's neck and rubbed small circles as Sam tried to catch his breath while Dr. Harris adjusted the dial on the IV Sam was hooked up to. "Ask him." Sam muttered a few minutes later.

"Doc, when can Sammy go home?" Dean asked turning around to face Dr. Harris.

"Let me explain just what you will need to do to treat the area and I'll examine him again and then if everything looks good he should be out of here soon." He smiled understandably. He knew his patients often liked to leave the moment they could stand on their own two feet without wobbling.

Dean nodded. "What do I have to do?" He asked. If Dr. Harris told him he had to get up at two in the morning to do something for Sam, he'd do it.

DW/SW

"Sammy, wake up, we're home." Dean said gently shaking his brother. Dr. Harris had prescribed some very heavy painkillers for Sam and as a result it made the kid incredibly sleepy.

"Hunh…" Sam groaned weather from just waking up or being in pain, Dean couldn't tell.

"We're home," Dean repeated. "Just wait here, I'll get your door."

Sam nodded and put his head back. He felt weird and disconnected though he knew he would prefer this to feeling the burning sensation on his chest and arms.

Dean got out of the car and ran to open Sam's door. "I got cha." Dean said as he very carefully helped Sam maneuver out of the car.

Sam hissed and it was slow going.

"I'm sorry kid," Dean apologized. The one thing he could never stand to watch was his little brother upset or pain, it killed him every time. "Come on, we'll get you inside and you can lie down on the couch and watch TV while I make you some chicken soup, hmm." He said as he shouldered Sam's duffle and gently slid an arm around Sam's waist. "I've got you." He reassured when he felt Sam fumble.

After what seemed like ages, the two had finally made their way inside to the living room. Both were surprised to see a 'Welcome Home Sam!' sign taped over the kitchen doorway and a present with a card on the living room table. Dean smiled when Sam looked at him. "Did you…?" He asked forgetting that Dean wouldn't have had the time to.

"Nope, wasn't me. I say we get you lying down and see who the card's from." Dean suggested. "Easy kid," He said as he gently eased Sam so he was lying back. "Rest Sammy, we'll look at your stuff later okay." Dean said when he saw how tired Sam looked.

Sam nodded and closed his eyes.

Dean woke Sam up four hours later when it was time to change his bandages and give him another dose of the pain meds. "I promise I'll be gentle, alright." Dean said after he'd undone the buttons on Sam's shirt.

Sam nodded. He knew Dean would never intentionally hurt him.

"Ready?" He asked.

Sam nodded again and put his head back, trying to focus on anything else. He was surprised to find a furry head resting next to his shoulder. He opened his eyes and saw that it was Ace.

"Hey boy," He smiled a little and wished he could scratch him behind the ears.

"He's been there the entire time." Dean said as he almost finished unwinding one of the bandages from around Sam's right arm.

"Really?" Sam asked.

"Yup," Dean nodded. "Guess he knew you could use a little extra watching over, hunh?"

Sam had been 'relaxing' while Dean administered to him when Dean's comment triggered his memory. "Dean?" Sam paused.

"Yeah kid," He said as he gingerly put some of the ointment on the reddened area.

Sam's breath hitched at the painful contact and tears stung his eyes and Dean cursed himself for not being gentler.

"Sorry Sammy." He apologized, guilt written all over his face.

"It's okay," Sam said regaining control over his breathing. "But um… you… you watched it right?"

"Told you I would." Dean replied rewrapping the arm.

"And um, it, it went okay. I mean… nothing, nobody…?" Sam asked unable to find the right words.

"Nobody did anything Sam." Dean said looking Sam in the eye so he would know that he was telling him the truth.

Sam nodded feeling more relieved now that he knew for sure that he hadn't been taken advantage of.

DW/SW

Sam woke up slowly a little while later and found that there were two things on his mind, his bladder was full and his stomach was empty. "Dean?" He called seeing that he and Ace were its only occupants.

"You're awake." Dean smiled as he walked toward the couch. "Everything okay?" He asked when Sam didn't respond.

"I kind of need some help." Sam answered.

"With what?" Dean asked taking a seat beside his brother.

"I ah…" Sam glanced down the hall.

"Oh, okay," Dean stood up and helped pull Sam to his feet by placing one arm around Sam's back and sort of lifting him up. "Can you manage or…?" He asked once he'd gotten Sam safely to the bathroom.

Sam nodded. "I think so."

"Alright, just call me when you're done." Dean said before leaving and heading into the kitchen where he started to make some chicken soup.

DW/SW

"Let's see here," Dean said taking a seat on the couch beside Sam after they'd both been warmed up by the hot soup they'd had as an early dinner. He picked the card up and started to hand it to his brother who shook his head. His arms were still really sensitive and it hurt to move them too much.

Dean scowled and got up from the couch. He returned a moment later, two of Sam's pills and a glass of water in hand. "If you need them, don't be afraid to ask."

"Thanks Dean." Sam mumbled as he swallowed the pills.

Dean smiled and shot a glance at the card in his hand and Sam nodded. Dean was surprised when he opened the envelope. It was homemade and had obviously been made by a girl if the neat hand writing had anything to go by. On the front of the card was a rather good drawing of a group of four boys and a girl and Dean knew it was from Sam's group. _Thank god, he's got them_ Dean thought. He showed the card to Sam. "It's from your friends."

Sam nodded. "What's on the inside?" He asked.

Dean flipped it open and found that the inside was covered with different messages for Sam., one from each of his friends including Mike and Sean. "Do you want me to read them to you?" He asked.

Sam nodded and closed his eyes, putting his head back on the pillow.

The first was from Kate and it read_ Sam, I hope you're feeling alright and if not, maybe this card can help cheer you up. We're all thinking about you and I wanted to say thanks for being my lab partner and my friend. See you soon! Oh and in case I don't see you before then, Merry Christmas! _There was a small heart underneath and Kate's name was signed next to it.

The next was from James. _Sam-man, can't wait till you get back here. I need someone to race the mile with and you're the only one who can give me a run for my money. Hope everything went well and if I don't see you have a great break and I'll see you when I see you. – James_

The next one was from Sean. _Hey kid, hope you're feeling alright and I wanted you to know that I'm really proud of you. All of us are. We know this can't be easy but please don't forget you've got all of us, not just that doofus of a brother (he's reading this isn't he?)_," Sam let out a little laugh when Dean scowled. "_Behind you. Get some rest, have a great Christmas and I'll see you soon. Sean_

"Nice to know he thinks his boss is a doofus." Dean said playing along and acting annoyed.

Sam laughed. "I don't think he's too far off."

"Oh really?" Dean asked a smile on his face.

Sam nodded.

"And to think you were on my side." He said feigning hurt.

"Read, I wanna know what the rest says." Sam said ignoring Dean.

Dean huffed but continued. The next was from Mike. _Hey Sammy, how's it going? Hope Dean's taking care of you. If he isn't, let me know and I'll whoop his ass into shape for you alright? Get some rest and I'll see you soon. Don't worry about class, we'll get you caught up when you're feeling up to it. Mike._

"What do they think I'm gonna do, make you fend for yourself?" Dean asked.

"They're just kidding, even I know that." Sam replied.

Dean smiled and continued, reading Andy's. _Sam – Have a great Christmas and get your rest, we need the jokester back here! See you soon! Andy._

The last was from Bobby. _Samo – heard you were having a 'minor procedure done', your words, not mine, hope it went well and even if you're not up to partying or whatever, give one of us a call. Two weeks without you isn't going to be fun and we need to fix that. Merry Christmas dude! Bobby_

Dean smiled. "That was nice of them."

Sam nodded, surprised but happy that his friends had done something for him.

"You still want me to open it?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded so Dean proceeded to tear the snowman themed wrapping paper off of the small box shaped gift. "Cool, didn't you say you wanted to see this?" Dean asked glad his friends had been able to find it. He'd tried but every store had been sold out.

"See what?" Sam asked stifling a yawn, the pain medication making him sleepy again.

Dean held up the movie for Sam to see.

Sam nodded tiredly.

"Go back to sleep, we'll watch it later." Dean said setting the movie and the card down on the table.

DW/SW

Frank was led out of his cell and into the visiting area and forced to sit at one of the metallic tables that was separated from the rest of the world by a plate of bullet proof glass. The guard buzzed in Frank's visitor and he was surprised to find out that it wasn't his lawyer but instead an old acquaintance and he instantly knew what, or who, this meeting was about.

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Hey! Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to let me know what you thought. Thanks and I'll try and update sometime next week. :)


	9. Chapter 9

Hey guys! Okay, I am sooooooo sorry this update took me so long. It was kind of hard to get started on and then we had some unexpected visitors stay with us. My mom's cousins son and two of his friends lived in New York for the first part of the summer and then decided to basically take a road trip to the West Coast (apparantly it's an adventure or something of all Irish boys, to tour the States) and ended up at my house. What's really funny is that I didn't even know I had a cousin Sean so yeah that was a bit of a surprise but it turned out to be really fun. Anyways, that's why this update took so dang long. I hope it's not too short.

I hope you like it and please let me know what you thought of it. I really love hearing from you guys. Thanks! Oh yeah and the song I used in this chapter is That's When I Love You by Phil Vassar (who is amazing by the way). Enjoy! :)

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"What are you doing here?" Frank asked picking up the phone as soon as the man had sat down in the gray visitor's chair.

"Where is he?" The man asked angrily ignoring Frank's question.

Frank shrugged and looked away. He wasn't about to give up his prize. Just because he wasn't using him right now, didn't mean he wouldn't be later.

"I swear to god, if you killed him…" The man began to threaten.

"Why would you care?" Frank asked.

"You weren't the only one who enjoyed him." The man answered.

"I know." Frank answered shortly. "What makes you think he's dead?" Frank asked.

"Cause you're not straddling him right now… of course the little bitch could make a good corpse." The man looked thoughtful.

"Elias, he's not dead. I might like to bang up the shit but I wouldn't go that far. I mean how many people are going to pay me to use a corpse?" Frank asked as he talked about Sam like he was a business deal rather than an actual person.

"If he's not dead, then where is he?" Elias asked again, his voice tainted with barely contained rage. "I went by the house, it was empty." He'd come back from a long trip and decided that he could use some entertainment to relax him from the stressful plane ride only to realize that his source of relaxation was apparently no longer available.

"Why should I tell you?" Frank asked sitting back in his chair.

"You promised me I could have him when you were done." Elias replied.

"Who the hell ever said I was done?" Frank asked laughing a little. Elias had been one of Frank's biggest customers, coming to see Sam quite frequently. He also paid the big bucks to use the boy. While it was true, Frank had promised Sam to Elias, he hadn't ever thought that day would come and now that it was here… well, he wasn't too happy.

"I'd say you're done. What Frank, is someone sneaking him in for here for ya?" Elias asked sarcastically. "You getting quickies or do the guards like Sam's dick too?"

"I'm not done with him yet and I swear if you lay one of your disgusting hands on him, I'll kill you." Frank threatened.

"I'm terrified." Elias mocked. "Fine, you won't tell me where he is, then I'll find him myself and you won't ever get to feel his soft skin or use that tight little ass ever again."

"You bastard! Get back here!" Frank yelled trying to get past the police barricade only to be stopped by two guards.

"I'll let him know you said 'hi'." Elias smirked as he walked out of the prison only to leave Frank fuming and desperate.

DW/SW

"Close your eyes kiddo," Dean instructed as he and Sam lay side by side on Sam's bed.

Sam grunted and a few tears of frustration fell down his face. _I just want to sleep, is that too much to ask?_ He thought in self-pity.

Dean leaned over and wiped them away. "Shh Sammy, it's okay." He cooed while stroking his brother's bangs.

It was Christmas Eve and to say that Sam was uncomfortable would be the understatement of the year. Even with all the pain meds he was on and the fact that he didn't have anything touching his chest or arms, they still burned a little. Unfortunately, the burning was starting to give way to an unbelievable amount of itchiness. At first Dean had thought that maybe Sam was having a reaction to the pain meds but Dr. Harris had assured them that while it was uncomfortable, it meant Sam was healing. Sam had been only slightly relieved to hear that the itchiness would more than likely go away in a day or two.

Dean sighed and got up from the bed. He walked over to the nightstand on the other side of the bed and turned the radio on, keeping the volume low. Normally, he'd pump ACDC or Led Zeppelin but he was trying to help his brother fall asleep so he left it on Sam's country station, 95.3 KRTY. Stifling a groan at what greeted his ears; he took back his place next to Sam and ran a gentle hand through his hair. "Shh Sammy, come on relax okay kiddo." He soothed.

Sam opened his eyes and looked pleadingly at his big brother. "I can't believe I willingly signed up for this… and I've got to go through it two more times." He complained.

"We don't have to do the other surgeries if you don't want to." Dean suggested. While he knew that getting rid of the scars was helping Sam's confidence levels and his mental health not to have a constant reminder of what he'd been through, Dean wished his brother would start seeing himself in a better light. The scars weren't what defined his kid brother and they certainly weren't something to be ashamed of but he knew Sam had yet to realize that. He knew it would just take a while, like Sam finally not blaming himself for what had happened.

"No, no, this um… I'd rather be uncomfortable now than risk someone seeing _them_." He said practically spitting out the last word.

Dean shook his head unsure of how to change his brother's mind. "Sam…" He started.

"I just want to go to sleep Dean." Sam interrupted. He knew what Dean was going to say and he didn't have it in himself to be able to listen to it tonight. He knew Dean would tell him that the scars didn't really matter but they did. They mattered a lot to Sam because he knew that they made people think and he didn't want that because that meant that someone might ask questions and that was something he just couldn't deal with. Not yet at least.

"Close your eyes then and stop thinking." Dean whispered softly.

Sam nodded and obeyed letting Dean's gentle touches and the music lull him to sleep.

_When I hear you stop and laugh out loud, when you're falling fast asleep_

_When you're in the middle of a crowd, when you're lying close to me_

_When I hear ya softly say my name_

_When you're high and when you're low_

_You don't need me to explain 'cause you already know_

_When you smile that way I know every night and day_

_That's when I love you, when I need you, when I care about you_

_That's when I know without a doubt that I can't live without you_

_Everyday I find another reason, every season we go through_

_Every little thing you do, that's when I love you_

_When you're driving in your car, when you dance and sing to the radio_

_When you're walking underneath the stars, anywhere and everywhere you go_

_When you're dressed up or you're dressed down, when you're talking on the phone_

_A million people all around or you're all alone_

_When you're near or you're far, you're in my heart_

_No matter where you are _

_That's when I love you, when I need you, when I care about you_

_That's when I know without a doubt that I can't live without you_

_Everyday I find another reason, every season we go through_

_Every little thing you do, that's when I love you…_

Dean smiled a little and looked over at his brother glad to see that the kid had finally fallen asleep. "I'll always love you Sammy, no matter what life throws at you." Dean promised closing his eyes himself.

DW/SW

Dean woke up the next morning around eight and even though it was Christmas morning and there were presents to open he decided to let the kid sleep in. After all, last night had been a particularly difficult night for both he and Sam. Dean couldn't wait for the next couple weeks to be over and Sam to be free of the pain that he was currently suffering from. He fed Ace his breakfast before letting him into the backyard and had been watching TV for about an hour later when he heard the pitter-patter of Sam's socked feet walking down the hallway.

"Hey," He said giving Sam a small smile. "Merry Christmas."

"Yeah, merry Christmas." Sam groaned obviously still tired and lied down on the couch so Dean could change his dressings and give him his medicine. After that was done, Dean made them a breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausages. "So, what do you want to do today?" Dean asked pushing his empty plate away.

"Stay home and sleep." Sam said yawning.

"Man you really are tired." Dean said sympathetically. He really hoped the results were worth it.

Sam nodded.

"Go back to bed." Dean ordered.

Sam nodded again and without protest walked down the hall to his room, careful to lie down on his back.

Dean spent the remainder of the morning doing chores around the house and checking on Sam repeatedly. Sam woke up a few hours later and sniffed _man, I need a shower_ he thought. Dr. Harris had advised against taking a shower or bath until the wounds had had a chance to heal but Sam wasn't sure how much longer he could last.

"Dean," He said walking down the hall and found Dean sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Hey, how'd you sleep?" Dean asked turning around in his seat.

Sam shrugged and ignored the slight sting the action caused. His arm began to itch and he raised a hand to take care of it when Dean stopped him.

"You don't want to make it worse." Dean said gently holding Sam's hand in his to prevent Sam from irritating the area more.

"But Dean…" Sam whined. "I'm itchy and I feel dirty, I haven't showered in days… please…"

"I'll call Dr. Harris, see if he grants you permission alright." Dean replied.

"It's Christmas, he won't answer. Please Dean, I'm miserable!" Sam huffed, turning on his puppy eyes that almost always made Dean cave to Sam's requests.

Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair, unsure of what to do. He knew Sam needed to take a shower, the kid hadn't had one since the night before his surgery but he didn't want to ruin any good work that Dr. Harris and his team had done.

"I hate this!" Sam yelled before hurrying to his room.

Dean huffed; this was not the way he wanted to spend Christmas. Knowing that he had to come up with some way to help his brother feel better, he went to the kitchen and grabbed the phonebook and his cell phone. He sat down at the table and began to flip through the book looking for hotlines for doctor's offices.

"Hi, you've reached the Help Now Hotline, what can I do for you?" A woman asked.

"Um hi, my younger brother recently had surgery and I was wondering if he could possibly take a shower or a bath?" Dean asked.

"What kind of surgery did he have?" The on-line nurse asked.

"He had scar revision done on his chest and arms." Dean answered.

"What kind of scar revision?" She asked.

"Um… a hot laser." He answered.

"And how long ago was this?" She asked.

Dean thought for a moment and then answered, "Six days."

"Okay and you haven't talked to his doctor?" She asked.

"Um no, his office is closed." Dean explained. "So what do you think or suggest?"

"Well, I think as long as he doesn't sit for too long and you are careful that he doesn't get the area too wet, it should be fine." She said. "Maybe wrap a towel or something of that nature around it."

"Thanks," Dean said before hanging up. He walked down the hall feeling much better now that he had something to offer to his brother. "Hey Sammy, you awake kiddo?" He asked knocking on the door.

"Yeah," Sam said in a soft tone of voice.

"So I think I've got some good news for you." He said sitting down on the edge of Sam's bed.

"What?" Sam asked his tone hopeful.

"Well, you know how we couldn't call the doc?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded.

"I managed to call one of those help hotlines and I spoke to a nurse who told me that if you took a bath and didn't sit in it for too long and we were careful not to get your chest and arms too wet, a bath would be fine." Dean said and watched as a smile appeared on his brother's face.

"Thanks Dean." Sam said getting off the bed and walking into the bathroom.

"Wait, Sam," Dean called following him.

"What?" Sam asked pausing in the bathroom doorway.

"I think it'd be hard for you to ah… to wash up on your own… with um, the shape your arms are in kid," Dean said wondering how Sam would react to that. His brother was an incredibly private person and Dean didn't know how Sam would feel about technically getting a bath from his big brother.

Sam nodded but was quiet.

"You okay?" Dean asked concerned.

"Um… yeah, I mean, it's you right. And ah, I ah, trust you so I guess this is what we've got." He said surprising Dean a little.

"Okay then, you wanna grab a change of clothes and I'll meet you in the bathroom." He said before leaving Sam alone in his room.

Sam drew a deep breath and tried to calm himself as he knew Dean would never do anything to him. His big brother had had a lot of opportunities to take advantage of him in the past year and he had yet to show Sam a reason not to trust him. With that in mind, Sam got off his bed and walked to his dresser grabbing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt before going into the bathroom. "Hey," He said sounding nervous.

Dean glanced up from where he was squatting on the floor adjusting the water temperature. "Hey," He smiled back, trying to project a sense of confidence. "Kay, why don't you get undressed and I'll get ya something to cover up with alright."

Sam nodded and began to remove his pajama pants knowing he'd need Dean's help with his shirt.

When Dean returned Sam was standing dressed in his boxers and his sleep shirt. "Need some help?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded quietly.

"Kay, I'll be gentle alright." He said as he began to lift up the hem of Sam's shirt.

Sam nodded again but didn't say anything.

Gently grabbing his brother's wrist, Dean fed Sam's arm through the sleeve followed by the other one. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" He asked after the shirt had been completely removed.

Sam shook his head refusing to look Dean in the eye.

Dean smiled reassuringly and lifted Sam's chin. "Come on now Sammy, it's just us two. No reason to be embarrassed."

Sam nodded and began to climb into the tub.

"Wait," Dean said holding out a towel.

"What? Dean, I haven't even gotten wet yet." Sam said confused.

"This is to make sure you stay that way. Come here." He ordered. After Sam had stood back up, Dean wrapped the towel as gently as he could around Sam's torso and clipped it together. "There, that should be better. Keep your arms out of the water, okay." He said as he put towels down on the edge of the tub for Sam to rest his arms on.

Sam nodded and did as he was told.

"Water okay?" Dean asked as he sat somewhat nervously next to his brother. He wasn't quite sure how to go about this.

Sam nodded and then looked at Dean. "What are you waiting for?" He asked.

Dean nodded and grabbed a washcloth from the counter behind him. He got it wet and then ran it over his brother's face. "I'll be right back, 'kay." He said before hurrying into the kitchen.

Sam nodded and relaxed against the tile, glad to be getting the grime and dirt off of himself. He was surprised at himself that he wasn't having any major freak-outs when Dean was running the washcloth over him. He knew he trusted his big brother but still, he didn't think he'd ever be comfortable with anyone ever touching him like that again and a couple tears fell down his face, mingling with the bath water.

Dean smiled a little when he walked back into the room seeing his brother looking peaceful for the first time in days. "Lean forward." He ordered picking up the plastic container he'd gotten from the kitchen. "Close your eyes." He said as he poured some water onto Sam's brown mop followed by the shampoo.

"You okay, getting cold?" He asked when he thought he saw his brother shiver a little.

"N… no, I'm fine." Sam lied.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong? Are you hurting?" Dean asked concerned.

Sam shook his head.

"Sammy, what is it?" Dean repeated.

"You take such good care of me." He said after a couple minutes. "I don't know how many people would willingly give their teenage siblings a bath."

Dean bent his head and kissed the top of Sam's. "I'd do anything for you."

Sam nodded. "I know. I heard you the other night. It's nice to know I've got someone who'll stand beside me no matter what." He added.

Dean smiled a little. "Let's get you rinsed off and then we can open some presents, sound good?"

Sam nodded though in his mind, Dean had already given him the best one ever. His big brother's unconditional and constant love and support was the best gift Sam thought he could ever receive.

DW/SW

"Sam?" Dean called from down the hall. "Come on, we're going to be late, hurry up."

Sam finished putting his shoes and then hurried out to the car. They were currently on their way to Sam's post-op appointment with Dr. Harris to see if Sam was healing properly or not.

After Dean paid the co-pay, the two of them sat off in the corner waiting for it to be their turn. Luckily the place wasn't crowded and their name was called quickly.

"Hi Sam, hi Dean, how are you guys doing today?" Dr. Harris asked after he'd walked into the room.

"We're good." Dean answered. "You?"

"Fine thanks, okay Sam, if I can get you to take your shirt off, we'll take a look and see how you're doing." Dr. Harris said putting on a pair of gloves.

Sam nodded and carefully removed his jacket and his button up shirt. Dean stepped back allowing Dr. Harris more room. "It looks good, there's no swelling and the redness has gone down." He explained after a couple minutes. "Do you want to take a look Sam?" He asked.

Sam looked at Dean who gave him a small smile and nodded. "Maybe later." He said still thinking that he'd be in for a letdown and that he'd find out that this was all just some part of a cruel dream.

Dean nodded understandingly.

"Are you still itchy?" Dr. Harris asked Sam moving on.

He nodded. "Not as much though."

"That's good to hear, I'd say everything is on the right track and you should be feeling up to doing more in the next couple days but I still want you to take it easy, okay Sam." He said.

"Um Doc, he had a bath the other day, do you think that hurt it at all?" Dean asked concerned.

"From what I can see, no, no damage was done." He answered. "Did you cover the area?"

"Yeah, we wrapped a towel around his chest and then he kept his arms out of the water." Dean replied.

Dr. Harris nodded. "That's fine then. So, let's get to scheduling your second surgery Sam if neither one of you has any other concerns."

"Sounds good." Dean said walking over and gently massaging his brother's shoulder, he didn't like how quiet the kid was being right now.

DW/SW

"Sammy, you okay in there?" Dean asked concerned as he stood outside Sam's bedroom door. Sam had been in his room ever since they got home from their appointment with Dr. Harris, almost an hour ago. When he thought he heard crying, he opened the door and stepped in. He was surprised at the sight that greeted him. Sam was standing in his room looking in the mirror wearing only a pair of pants while he examined his chest. He stood silently watching as Sam gently touched his skin, almost as if he was expecting this to be a dream.

Sam turned around and wiped the tears from his eyes. "It worked." He said happily. "It… it worked, you can't tell." There were still some faint lines that ran off in different directions but as a whole, his chest looked a lot better. He knew now if someone ever saw him without a shirt on, they wouldn't be tempted to ask why he'd been put through a meat grinder though he had no intention of walking around half-naked anytime soon.

Dean walked over to Sam and brushed a thumb against his brother's cheek, wiping more of his tears away. "Good to see you smiling again."

DW/SW

Sam, Dean and Ace had been relaxing in the living room when there was a knock at the front door. "Wonder who that could be?" Dean said getting up from the couch; he wasn't expecting anybody and he highly doubted his brother was either. He was pleasantly surprised when he opened the door. "Hey man, what are you doing here?" Dean asked as he let Mike in.

"Hey Sam, how ya doing?" Mike asked walking over to the couch.

Sam smiled a little. "I'm good." He answered truthfully.

"So, what's up?" Dean asked taking a seat on the arm of the couch.

"I just wanted to stop by and drop this off." He said pulling a wrapped box out of the bag he'd been holding.

"What is it?" Dean asked.

"Sam forgot it at school. I would have dropped it off sooner but… well, you know how things get." He answered. "Anyways, just wanted to make sure that you got it but I should probably get going."

"Yeah alright, I'll walk you out." Dean said standing from his seat. After saying a quick goodbye, Dean returned to the living room to find Sam staring at the box.

"So you wanna open it?" He asked sitting beside his brother.

"It's not for me." Sam replied. _How could I have forgotten this?_

Dean cocked his head to one side.

"It's for you. I um, I made it in art class… well, just open it." He said handing the box to Dean.

"Thanks Sammy." He said taking the lid off of it and digging though the 'protective' tissue paper. "Oh, wow…" Dean said when he found the ceramic model of his baby, the Impala.

"You like it?" Sam asked hopeful.

"Yeah, I do… this is really cool." Dean said genuinely impressed. The model looked smooth and was even painted black just like his but this one had the logo for ACDC painted on the hood. He stood up and cleared some space on the shelf above the TV before proudly displaying the model. He walked back to the couch and gave his brother a hug. "Thanks kid. It's awesome."

Sam nodded and returned the hug, glad Dean liked the car. It hadn't been easy to make and he actually wasn't too happy with it but if Dean liked it, he figured it was good enough.

DW/SW

Elias was pissed beyond belief. He had spent the last week looking for the kid and yet apparently no one in this no good part of town knew anything. He knew it shouldn't have surprised him, Frank's neighbors weren't really the kind to take notice of what the other was doing which he guessed was a good thing. One thing he wanted to know was just how the hell on earth, Frank had lost the kid. He doubted he would have escaped considering the fact that the last time he had seen Sam, he was practically skin and bones and acted like a rag doll. He also doubted that anyone had turned Frank in. Sam was… popular and he knew too many people would miss him to let one asshole take their fun away.

Punching the wall next to him in anger, he decided that the best thing he could do now was go get a drink and ask around there. Maybe someone would be willing to help him out, hell, he just might be willing to share if they did help him find him.

DW/SW

Frank was now back in his cell and he groaned as he rolled over on the small bed. All he could think about lately was his meeting with Elias. While he wanted to prove to Sam that he could never escape that life because being a little fuck-toy was all the kid was good for, Sam was **his** fuck-toy and he vowed to get vengeance against the people who had taken him away from him. There was just one little problem, he couldn't do much stuck behind bars. He growled and fisted himself; he really, really needed to stop thinking about the kid so damn much.

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Hey! So, how was that? Thanks for reading and I hope you'll let me know what you thought. Thanks again! :)


	10. Chapter 10

Hey guys! So, here's the next part and I think a few of you are going to want to kill me for it. Thanks again to everyone who is reading this story and of course to those who send me a review! I love hearing what you guys think and I mean, I can't believe that people are actually taking the time to read this and are enjoying it! It means a lot to me and I hope you enjoy this next part. Please let me know and I will try and update soon! :)

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Jack sat down at the bar and ordered a much needed beer, knowing that it would probably be the first of many for the night. He'd just been fired from his third job in less than a month. Not that he had actually enjoyed the fast-food atmosphere and the meager pay but at least it had been something. Now though, that was gone and it only served to make him angrier. Taking a long swig of his beer, he growled. He wanted to get even with Dean Winchester and his pansy ass little brother. This wasn't about high school rivalries anymore; this was about making that arrogant asshole see that he didn't have everyone fooled by his pretty boy looks and charming manner.

"Tough night?" The man sitting beside him asked.

Jack growled and ignored the man as he wasn't feeling very social tonight.

"I need some help, I'm looking for someone." Elias said scooting a bit closer to Jack.

Jack grabbed his beer and made to stand. "I'm sure you are but I don't swing that way, sorry."

"No, sorry I wasn't implying that. Don't run off because of me. The name's Elias Judtrath." He said offering his hand.

After a moment's hesitation, Jack nodded and shook Elias' hand. "Jack, Jack Martin." The two sat having meaningless chit chat for a while before Elias turned the conversation in the direction he needed to in order to find out what he'd come there for.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked pretending to be hesitant.

"What is it?" Jack asked feeling a little skeptical about the guy sitting next to him. He didn't know what it was but the man seemed a bit… off, as if he didn't have all his marbles in one jar and to be completely honest, he was starting to give Jack the creeps.

"I was wondering if you knew a guy by the name of Dean Winchester?" Elias asked.

"Yeah, I know Dean… what about him?" Jack asked.

"I want to pay him a visit… he took something very precious to me and well, I just can't let it be forgotten." Revenge was present on his face and in his eyes as he spoke.

Jack smiled, hopefully having found someone to help him carry out his wants. "I think you and I could be very good friends Elias." He smirked before taking another sip of his beer ignoring the voice in the back of his head telling him that this was an insanely bad idea.

DW/SW

Sam hooked Ace's leash up to his collar and had to immediately give it a tug to make his dog stay still. "Dean!" Sam called when Ace tugged on the leash for a third time. Even though he was mostly pretty well-behaved, he was still a large dog and occasionally hard to handle, especially if he was excited.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" Dean smiled grabbing his key and putting it in his back pocket making sure to lock the door behind him. "So, which way do you wanna go today, to the lake or to town?" He had barely finished asking when he realized that Ace and Sam were already headed towards the lake, about an hour's walk away from their house. "Hey! Wait up!" He shouted jogging to catch up with his brother.

Sam smiled as he glanced over at his brother as they continued on down the path towards the lake. He'd been so happy to get the all clear from Dr. Harris a few days ago. He loved going on walks with his brother and Ace, especially to the lake. There he could just sit on the shore and watch Ace tromp through the shallow waves and not have to worry or think about anything, it was peaceful.

"Somebody's in a good mood today." Dean smiled as they continued towards their destination.

Sam shrugged in response. "It's nice out." He offered. It was actually a bit on the chilly side but Sam was still enjoying himself, glad to be out of the house.

"A bit cold but it's not too bad," Dean agreed. "I'll make us some of that hot chocolate you love when we get home, 'kay?"

"Hmm…" Sam smiled. "Okay, there ya go boy." Sam said as he unclipped Ace's leash and then sat down on the ground close to the water but not close enough to actually get wet.

Dean took a seat beside Sam and picked up a rock before tossing it into the lake, watching as it skimmed over the surface. While he liked getting out with his brother and he had to admit that this was a pretty cool place to be able to go to and just relax, he also was always very careful of wherever they went, making sure to keep an eye on their surroundings. He knew there were others besides Frank, other perverted bastards who preyed on kids like Sam and he would be damned if he was going to let one of them get their slimy hands on the kid ever again. But on the other side of things, he wanted his brother to be able to go out and live his life without having to constantly look over his shoulder. Sam deserved to enjoy himself and Dean wasn't about to let the sick fucks take that away. Dean let out a small sigh, getting both of those goals done wasn't exactly an easy accomplishment.

"You okay?" Sam asked after hearing his brother's sigh.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine… just thinking."

"About what?" Sam asked.

"Nothing." Dean answered deciding to keep his dilemma to himself.

Sam nodded and returned to watching his dog explore the wilderness that surrounded them.

They'd been sitting in companionable silence for a while watching as Ace got incredibly dirty running through the water and surrounding woods. "You know you're going to have to give him a bath tonight, right?" Dean smirked. He loved the mutt and was glad that he made Sam happy but he really didn't feel like having wet and muddy dog prints all over the sofa or the carpet.

Sam nodded. "I know. I was going to anyway, it's been a while."

"So, what do you think about going back to school tomorrow?" Dean asked. The plan was that Sam would go to school this week and then his next surgery was scheduled to happen the week after. They'd planned it out like that for two reasons, one to give the kid a break in between surgeries and two to make sure that he had a chance to catch up with his school work.

"You know me, I love school." Sam answered sarcastically. "All the stuck-up attitudes and everything, there's no where else I'd rather be."

"I know you love learning and being a little geek." He said affectionately making Sam let out a small laugh. It was true, Sam loved learning new things and studying, he just didn't like the social aspect of it all so much which Dean thought was pretty obvious. "You've got a different teacher now and besides, it was fine when you went back before, right?" He asked his tone taking on a more serious edge.

Sam nodded. "I thought everyone would want to lynch me or something…"

"But they didn't." Dean stated letting his arm brush against Sam's, silently offering him a little comfort. "It'll be fine."

Sam nodded and was quiet for a few minutes. "So, you like my new teacher?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, he seems alright. I mean, you know definitely an athletic guy but not like Jack. It'll be fine but Sammy, if anything does happen, if he does treat you badly or whatever, tell me okay." He explained.

"I know. I will. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, I just… I just didn't want you to think of me as weak." Sam replied quietly.

"That is one thing you will never be okay Sammy? After everything you've been through Sam, I could never think of you as weak. You're one of the strongest people I know." Dean reassured. "And it's okay not to be able to handle everything on your own, you shouldn't have to. We're a family Sam, you help me, and I help you… all that spiffy jazz." He said while sending a loving, older brother smile Sam's way.

Sam smiled back and ducked his head a little.

Dean glanced at his watch seeing that it was about five in the evening. "You wanna head back now, maybe grab something to eat on the way home?" He asked.

Sam nodded and stood up, dusting himself off.

Dean stood as well but stopped when he thought he heard a twig snap. Considering that he and Sam were the only people around, it made him a bit nervous. He didn't want to freak Sam out over nothing though so he shook it off and suggested that they get going while taking a nervous and precautionary look around not seeing anything unusual.

Elias breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Sam and Dean walk away, his focus mainly on Sam's ass remembering how good it had felt to fill it with his dick. He palmed himself and had to suppress a groan so his prey wouldn't hear him. "Enjoy your time together, it won't last." He whispered knowing that it really wouldn't have mattered much though if they had heard him, he had his gun with him and was prepared to use any means necessary to make sure that his fantasies became a reality. _All in good time_ he thought. As much as he wanted to take Sam right then and there, he knew this was something that couldn't be rushed.

DW/SW

"Kay, I'll pick you up later, alright. Have a good day." Dean said as Sam climbed out of the car. "Bye Sammy."

"You too, bye Dean." Sam called before walking up the steps. He went to his locker and got the books he needed for his morning classes and then set off to find his friends. He smiled when he saw them standing by the steps leading to the second floor of the arts and sciences building. "Hey guys," He said tapping James on the shoulder.

"Oh my god! Sam, you're back!" Kate practically squealed when she saw him, a huge smile gracing her face.

Sam smiled sheepishly.

"Why didn't you tell us you were gonna back this soon?" James asked.

"I wanted to surprise you guys." Sam answered.

"Mission accomplished." James smiled with Bobby and Andy nodding in agreement.

Sam continued to smile and let his friends welcome him back before the first bell rang and they parted ways. Sam soon found himself getting back into the groove of things and was happy that he didn't have to worry about running into Mr. Martin, Zack or Ryan. It definitely made his day a bit more stress-free. "So, you like this guy, our new teacher?" Sam asked still slightly worried about meeting his new PE teacher, the effects of his last experience still lingering.

"Yeah, don't worry. He's cool." James answered as they walked into the locker rooms.

While it was still not on his top ten favorite places to be, Sam found it wasn't as bad as before and wondered if maybe his scars being not so obvious had anything to do with it.

"If you say so." Sam said deciding to trust James before jumping to conclusions and judging the guy before he met him. He walked to his own locker and pulled out his PE clothes, stuffing his backpack into the small space. Out of habit, he looked around before pulling his shirt off. _They're gone, I don't have to worry _he thought trying to reassure himself as he glanced down at his stomach, still feeling a bit of awe that he didn't look like he had a road map going across his chest, keeping his back to the row of lockers.

Not only had nobody ever questioned him about just how he'd gotten his scars though he had heard whispers and seen the looks, people generally left him alone and those that didn't learned to quickly but he was starting to feel a little bit more confident that maybe, just maybe he could be just 'one of the guys'. After all, he was at home so why not at school with his friends? _Because you're still keeping secrets from them_ he thought but shook it off or at least tried to. That wasn't their business and he tried to think of what Dean would say to him if he were to ask him about it. _He'd probably tell me that if they did treat me any different for it then they're not worth being friends with._ Keeping that in mind, he finished changing and closed his locker.

James was a little surprised when he walked over to Sam's locker and found him tying his shoes. He'd kind of expected Sam to not even have taken his shirt off yet. He decided against saying anything and just smiled. "C'mon."

"Thanks for the ah, card guys... it was really cool and um and the movie was good too." Sam said, a small smile on his face.

Kate blushed and stared at the floor.

"It was all her idea," James said quietly and Sam nodded. "Of course the movie came from us guys."

Sam nodded and then turned to Kate. "I um... I ah, I don't want to embarrass you but it helped make me feel better knowing that you guys were thinking of me so I ah, I just wanted to say thanks."

Both Kate and James nodded and smiled. It stunned the two of them sometimes at how easy it was to make Sam happy. He didn't require or want much, just someone to talk to and a friendly face to see.

"So, what have we been doing?" Sam asked after a couple minutes had passed by.

"Hockey," James answered. "We ah, we didn't know when you were going to be back but there's a spot on our team for ya."

Sam smiled but his smile faltered when their teacher walked in. He looked like your typical athletic jock, tall, tan and well-built, and Sam hoped he'd be okay.

"Alright class, go line up." He called clapping his hands together reminding Sam almost too much of his former teacher, an unconscious shiver running down his spine.

Sam, James and Kate went their separate ways and got lined up, ready for roll-call. Mr. Talley walked down the line saying 'hi' to each of his students and checking their names off as he went. "You must be Sam, am I correct?" He asked stopping in front of the shaggy haired boy.

Sam nodded shyly.

"Well, welcome back Sam. I'm Mr. Talley but you can call me Mr. T." He said putting a checkmark next to Sam's name.

"Hi Mr. T." Sam replied quietly.

Mr. T smiled and then moved on to his next his student. After he had finished roll call, they did their daily stretches and then everyone clambered to get a 'good' hockey stick from the bin Mr. T had set out. "We're over here," James said as he and Sam walked to the far side of the gym. "Have you ever played hockey before?" He asked.

Sam shook his head no.

"Don't worry, not a big deal. Mr. T always goes over the rules first." James smiled and Sam turned around, ready to listen. Why couldn't they be playing one of the games Dean had taught him he didn't know?

"Okay, so just so everyone's clear, I'm going to go over the rules again alright?" Mr. T started. "First off, I don't want to see any rough-housing or fighting. I know they fight in the pro games all the time but this isn't the pro's, its PE class so please try but don't take it too seriously. If I see that you are having a hard time controlling your temper, you'll be in the box with me. Secondly, no sticks above the waist. It's a good way for you to hurt either yourself or someone else and that's not what we need. Kay, we'll play fifteen minute games and then switch so everyone should play against each team twice today. Got it?" He asked. "Have fun."

"See, he's not bad." James reassured.

Sam nodded and stood back a little, not wanting to get caught up in the action of it right away.

Mr. T watched his newest student, Sam, watch at first and then cautiously join in the game. He'd talked with Sam's older brother and guardian, Dean, and the principle a few weeks before and heard about Sam's negative experiences so far. He'd promised he'd take it easy on the kid but also encourage him to try new things. He had also made it clear to both of them that while he liked to win, a lot, he didn't stand for bullies and wouldn't allow it in his class. This seemed to put the brother to rest, at least a little.

"Sam, can I talk to you for a few minutes?" Mr. T asked after class had ended.

Sam looked hesitantly between his friends and they both told him they'd wait for him. "What is it?" Sam asked thinking through the period worried he may have done something wrong.

"I just wanted you to know that all I expect out of you is that you try. I don't care how long it takes you to run the mile or learn a new sport; all I want is for you to try okay?" He asked.

Sam nodded still a bit worried.

"Don't worry, you did fine today." He encouraged.

"Really?" Sam asked, a bit of disbelief in his voice.

"Yeah, this is PE. I'm not expecting any miracles or anything 'kay." Mr. T smiled a bit. "Just go out there and have fun."

Sam returned the smile, his confidence beginning to grow. "Thanks. I… I will." He replied.

"No problem, now go enjoy your lunch. I'll see you tomorrow." Mr. T answered.

Sam nodded. "Bye Mr. T." Sam said before hurrying to enjoy his friends.

DW/SW

"What did you want to talk about?" Chelsea asked skeptically as she sat down across from Frank and Paul. She'd gotten a call earlier in the week from Paul that Frank had something he wanted to say and she wasn't quite sure what she would expect. "Just so you know, he was proved guilty, we're way past plea bargaining." She said turning to Paul.

"I know." He said defensively. He didn't like being treated or talked to like this was his first client ever.

"Well…?" Chelsea asked when Frank didn't start talking.

"I had a visitor last week, we had a very interesting conversation… 'bout little Sammy." Frank answered.

"You and I should talk about this alone." Paul said interrupting his client.

"Frank, what did you and your visitor talk about? What about Sam?" She asked. Her officers were still looking for the other people on the tapes and had caught a few, most of which getting plea deals. She knew Sam wouldn't, couldn't testify a second time and she didn't blame him. She also knew Dean would never allow it. "What did you guys talk about? What about Sam?"

"If I tell you, what do I get in return?" Frank asked.

"Like I told your lawyer, we're past bargaining." Chelsea repeated.

"That's too bad. Just remember when little Sammy gets a visitor and ends up missing, you can tell Dean it's entirely your fault." He said turning away as if he was done with the conversation. "Guard!" He called.

"Wait… wait depending on what it is you have to say, maybe, maybe I can come up with something." She said to please the bastard though she knew or at least hoped that no judge would lessen his punishment. Personally, she thought VIP treatment in hell wasn't good enough for the bastard.

"That's not good enough. I want a promise that if I tell you, I can get out of here sooner. I mean, I have work to do, people to see, places to go." He said a smile on his face and Chelsea was internally disgusted with what she knew he was referring to.

"Frank…" His lawyer warned.

Frank rolled his eyes at the shumck and sighed. "So, do I get out of here early or not?" He asked.

"I'll see what I can do for you. I'll talk to my boss but first I need to hear what you have to say." She said having no intention of seeking 'help' for Frank.

Frank nodded, seemingly satisfied with that.

"Who was your visitor?" Chelsea asked.

"An old… friend of mine, his name is Elias… Elias Judtrath. He wanted to know if Sam was still alive." Frank answered.

"Why would he think Sam was dead?" Chelsea asked.

"He thought I'd killed him." He looked like he was going to say something else but then stopped. "Nothing I say in here can be used against me for anything right?"

Chelsea nodded so he continued. "Anyways, I guess he went by my place to… see… Sam. When Sam wasn't there, he got angry and I guess he found out I was in jail and paid me a visit."

"Why would he want to see Sam?" Chelsea asked already knowing the answer but needing to hear it from Frank.

"Why do you think? He wanted to buy Sam a pony… Elias was one of my… customers and I guess he was looking for a tune-up." Frank explained.

"Do you know where Elias lives or where we can find him?" She asked.

"No, I mean, he likes to drink but I have no clue where he lives." He said taking a glance at his lawyer.

"Did you tell him where to find Sam?" Chelsea questioned.

"No. I didn't want him to dirty what is mine. Is that enough to get me out of here?" He asked.

"We'll see, all depends on if we catch him before he gets to Sam." She answered. "If we do catch him first, then maybe we can work something out." She said before gathering her things and leaving the room.

DW/SW

"Hey," Dean smiled when Sam climbed into the car. "How was it?" Dean asked.

"Good, you were right." Sam answered tossing his backpack into the backseat.

"About what?" Dean asked pulling out of the parking lot.

"My, ah Dean… isn't home in the other direction?" He asked.

"Yeah, we gotta go to the store. So wait, what was I right about?" He repeated. "I mean, I'm the older brother so really it's a given that I was going to be right but still I want to hear you say it."

Sam rolled his eyes. "My teacher, Mr. T. He does seem okay. He um, he pulled me aside after class." Sam said.

"What for?" Dean asked.

"He wanted to talk to me. He said that all he wants me to do is try, he doesn't care how long it takes me to do something, he just wants me to try." Sam answered.

"Good," He found a parking spot and then the two of them headed towards the Safeway entrance. "Grab a cart, will ya?"

Sam nodded and grabbed one before hurrying to catch up with Dean. "What do we need?" He asked walking alongside Dean.

"Ah bread, milk, and cereal… what do you want for dinner tonight?" He asked grabbing a packet of lunch meat and throwing it into the cart.

Sam shrugged. "I don't know, what do you feel like?" He asked.

"Lasagna okay?" He asked.

"Sure, but can we get the meat one? I like it better than the cheese." He said.

"Fine by me." Dean grabbed one of the meat lasagna out of the freezer and set it in the cart beside the tub of peanut butter and chocolate ice cream Sam had chosen.

"Dean?" He heard while he was grabbing a carton of milk and thought the voice sounded familiar.

He turned around and was surprised to see Rachel standing behind him. "Hey, what's up?" He asked before he remembered that he hadn't talked to her since their date a couple weeks before. _Shit!_ "I'm really sorry I haven't called, been kind of crazy at our house lately but um, how are you."

"I'm… I'm good, how are you and Sam?" She asked stopping her cart beside his.

"We're doing okay. The last couple weeks were a bit rough on him but he made it through." Dean said a proud smile on his face.

"Yeah, I heard. That definitely did not sound like too much fun… over Christmas too." She replied and Dean could see genuine sympathy in her eyes.

"Yeah, he wasn't too happy about it but he's got a little break right now so… Speaking of Christmas, how was yours?" He asked.

"Fine, I went up to my parent's place so it was a bit of a drive but not too bad." She answered.

Dean smiled enjoying the small talk they were having and was about to ask her another question when he saw Sam walking towards him not looking too happy. Not wanting anything to happen or cause a scene, he decided he should end the conversation. "Well, I should go. Gotta get the kid home but it was nice running into you."

"Yeah you too, ya know I still owe you dinner." She said with a suggestive smile on her face.

"Yeah, I'll call you." He called. "Sam, we were just talking." He said trying to placate his obviously upset brother.

"Yeah right, let's just go home." He said crossing his arms over his chest and looking a mix of hurt and worried.

"Sam…" Dean sighed before deciding that they'd gotten enough to last them the week and walked up to the counter.

Sam slammed the car door shut, harder than necessary and immediately turned off Dean's music as soon as the car started up. "Sam, we were just talking." Dean tried.

Sam huffed.

"C'mon, you're acting childish Sam. So what, I can't ever talk to a girl now without you getting all pmssy on me?" Dean asked starting to get a bit annoyed. "I mean, I thought we talked about this. You know how important you are to me."

Sam's jaw clenched shut and he was quiet as he stared out the window. Maybe he was being childish but he couldn't help it. Every time he saw Rachel, which he realized hadn't been a whole lot, he got scared. His talk with Dean had placated some of his fears but not all of them, not the ones he'd been too afraid to voice fearing that if Dean heard them, then his brother might start to think they were true and then what would he do?

"Would you please tell me what the hell is such a big deal about me talking, having a civil conversation with someone who just happens to be of the opposite gender?" Dean asked, his irritation growing.

Sam looked as if he was about to answer when suddenly he screamed causing Dean to slam on the breaks.

"Sammy, what is it?" Dean asked, his annoyance gone at the tone of his little brother's voice.

"ACE!" Sam shouted, tears quickly rolling down his cheeks.

* * *

So... I know I'm evil to end it like that. Just what exactly has happened to Sam's beloved companion? I already have the first part written so I will try very hard to get the next chapter up soon. I hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought. I really appreciate all of you taking the time to read it and I hope you send me a review. Weather you do or not, thanks! :)


	11. Chapter 11

Hey guys! So just what is Ace's fate... read and find out and maybe you won't come after me with pitchforks, hunh? Good, good, glad we settled that.

I meant to get this up sooner but it's been a bit of a tough week to say the least. One of my little sister's best friends had a seizure and OD'd in the middle of class and work's really tough right now, it seems like both my boys are slipping backwards a bit and we're not quite sure why and I just found out that we are moving in a month so I'm a little down right now.

Anyways, thanks for continuing to read this story, I hope you're still enjoying it and please let me know what you thought. I love hearing from you guys and the fact that you take the time to write back to me is very much appreciated! I will try and update ASAP. Thanks again! Enjoy! :)

* * *

Dean glanced up ahead to see what had caught his brother's attention and made him so upset and felt both a great deal of anger and sadness when he saw the scene up ahead of him. Sam was kneeling next to Ace who was lying unmoving in the middle of the street not far from their driveway. "Fuck no, please… please Sam needs him…" Dean whispered as he rushed out of the car and began running over to his brother.

Sam looked up when he felt Dean kneel down next to him. "Do something Dean!" Sam pleaded while continuing to pet Ace's head, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Please, please don't… don't let him die… please…"

Dean sat there in shock for a minute unsure of what he could or should do. As far as he could tell, Ace was gone and he had no idea how to break the news to Sam. He knew his brother would be devastated. "Sammy, I'm… I'm so sorry kid." He said quietly knowing that his words would do nothing towards bringing his brother's beloved companion back. Then he saw a slight movement of Ace's chest and prayed it wasn't his eyes playing tricks on him. "Wait Sam, I don't think he's… I think he might be okay."

Sam let out a sob. "Then why isn't he moving?" He asked completely heartbroken.

"I think… move back a little." Dean ordered.

"No, I'm not leaving him!" Sam yelled protectively.

Dean grabbed Sam's shoulders and forced his brother to look at him. "Sammy, you gotta calm down okay. Right now Ace is hurt and it's up to us to help him but we can't do that if you're freaking out alright." Sam nodded and sniffled. "I want to see if he can get up okay." Dean softened his tone of voice and prayed that Ace would stand up. "Ace, come on boy, stand up. Stand up." He ordered.

A minute passed and when nothing happened, Sam began shaking again and Dean really did start to fear the worst. "Dean, he's…" Sam said before Dean cut him off.

"Wait Sam, give him a chance." Dean interrupted. Ace whined quietly and whimpered a little before he slowly pushed himself up only to collapse as soon as he put weight on one of his hind legs. Dean breathed a sigh of relief thanking god that Sam's dog was still alive and appeared to be only injured. "Go get me the blanket out of the trunk okay, we're gonna take him to the vet but first I gotta get him in the car." He took a deep breath and then managed to pick Ace up, only stumbling slightly. "It's okay boy, it's okay," He comforted.

Sam nodded and then unsteadily got to his feet and ran to the trunk. Slamming the trunk shut, he quickly laid the blanket out on the backseat and watched as Dean set Ace on top of it.

"He's gonna be okay Sammy," Dean reassured. "Sit next to him and put his head in your help alright. I want you to hold him still and keep him on the seat okay."

Sam nodded and climbed in next to Ace sitting as Dean had instructed him to do.

Fifteen minutes later, Dean pulled up outside the vet's office and killed the engine. "Get the door, I'll get Ace." Dean said gently grabbing the dog and lifting him up. Sam's tears didn't stop as he hurried out of the car to hold the door open for Dean.

Their vet, Tom Clancy, was standing in the front office talking with one of his office aides when Dean rushed in to the office as fast as he could while carrying Ace, the blanket he was wrapped in already a bit bloody. "Dean? Sam?" He asked abandoning his conversation and rushing towards the small family. "What happened?"

Seeing that Sam was too distraught to speak, Dean answered. "We had just come home from the store and… and we found him in the middle of the road."

"Bring him back here." He ordered immediately walking into one of his exam rooms, his assistant Julie, behind him.

Dean gently set Ace down on the table. "There you go boy." Dean said softly. He glanced up and saw Sam standing in the corner shaking and sobbing, his arms wrapped tightly around himself. His mouth was moving but Dean couldn't tell what his brother was saying though he had a vague idea.

"Do you know how badly he's hurt?" Tom asked as he began to examine Ace.

Dean shook his head no. "I… I don't know but I think one of his back legs is broken or at least injured. He couldn't stand or put weight on it." He explained.

Tom nodded directing most of his attention at Ace's hind legs.

Ace whined and Julie fed him a dog biscuit while scratching him behind the ears to distract him from Tom's prodding hands.

"Julie, get me the x-ray machine. I think it would be best if you guys waited outside. I'll come and talk to you soon." He said only to have Sam start protesting almost immediately.

"I can't leave him… he… he… he needs me…" He protested. "I don't want to leave him."

Tom gave Dean a sympathetic look and so Dean gently but firmly steered Sam out of the room. "Let the doctor work okay Sammy. It'll be easier for them to help Ace without us in there alright." Sam continued to sob as Dean pulled him close and began rubbing his back in an attempt to soothe him doubtful of how successful he was being. "Shh Sammy, shh, everything's gonna be okay. Tom and Julie know what they are doing and are going to take good care of him, shh little brother, shh." He cooed.

Sam fisted Dean's jacket in his hands and buried his face in Dean's chest breaking his older brother's heart.

Dean sighed and pressed a soft kiss to the top of Sam's head, it seemed like his little brother's heart never got a break especially recently.

"Come on, let's go wait outside and sit down alright kiddo." Dean suggested after several minutes had passed. Sam wasn't shaking violently anymore but Dean knew the tears were long from over. "It's gonna be okay." He whispered.

Dean led Sam over to the chairs that the front office had provided and let Sam snuggle up to him, gently running a hand over Sam's arm.

"How… how… how could someone do that Dean?" Sam asked a while later, his voice muffled by Dean's jacket. "How could they just leave him there?"

"I don't know Sam." Dean answered honestly. It was the middle of the afternoon and Ace was a good sized dog, surely they'd known it when they hit him. And Dean had another question, just how in the bloody hell had Ace gotten out of the yard. Their gates didn't open very easily and he knew Ace wouldn't have been able to jump over it or escape. The more Dean thought about it the more he realized that this had been a deliberate attack. Someone had purposefully let their dog out of the yard and then intentionally hit Ace with their car and knowing that infuriated Dean. "He's gonna be fine." He repeated trying hard to keep his voice soft and reassuring and to not show his brother how angry he was.

Sam nodded trying to tell himself that and kept his head on Dean's chest needing his brother's warmth and comfort.

About half an hour later, Tom walked over to where Sam and Dean were seated and sat down across from them. "How is he?" Dean asked.

"I think he's going to be fine but I do need permission to do surgery." Tom answered.

"Surgery?! I thought you just said he was gonna be fine!" Sam shouted rising from his seat. "He has to be." He added softly, the tears that had never really stopped starting up again.

"Sammy, come here," Dean said pulling his brother close again and quietly shushing him before turning to the vet. "Why does he need surgery?" Dean asked.

"The x-ray we took showed that Ace's right back leg is broken in two places so we need to go in and fix that." He answered. "He'll be in surgery for about three hours and then we'll keep him overnight so we can keep an eye on him and then if everything looks okay, you should be able to take him home tomorrow."

"Hear that Sammy, Ace is gonna be fine. He just needs a little surgery and then he gets to come home tomorrow." Dean said trying to reassure his brother.

Instead of being reassured by the news like Dean had hoped he would be, Sam only began to cry harder. He didn't want Ace to need surgery or have to stay overnight at the vet's office. He wanted to take his dog home now and be able to wrestle and play with him like he always did when he came home from school. He sniffled and buried his face further into Dean's chest.

Tom silently asked Dean about the surgery and moved the clipboard closer to him.

Dean nodded and grabbed the pen from Tom and signed the consent papers.

Looking at how devastated Sam was, Tom made a decision he didn't make often. "You can go see him for a few minutes before you leave," He said looking at Dean. "That is, if you want to."

Dean gently nudged Sam and gave him a small smile. "You wanna go see him?" He asked wondering whether or not this was a good idea or if seeing Ace would just make Sam more upset.

Sam nodded and stood up wiping his eyes on the back of his hand. Tom and Dean stood up as well and Tom led the way back to the room where Ace was being kept. "Just a minute." He said and Dean nodded.

Sam walked over to his dog and nuzzled Ace's face with his. "I'm sorry boy, I'm sorry. I… I want to take you home but I can't but I promise as soon as they call, I'll come and get you. I love you and… and you… you can't leave me so you've gotta let the vet take care of you okay. Bye boy." He kissed the top of Ace's head and then ran out of the room before he changed his mind, tears flowing freely.

Dean gave Ace a quick look and then followed Sam out of the room. He grabbed Sam's hand in order to keep him close by. The fact that someone had obviously intentionally picked their dog to hurt… it made him nervous. He didn't know if it was just more bullies or something, someone more dangerous.

"Wait Sammy, just let me pay and then we can leave alright." He said standing at the counter.

Julia smiled sympathetically at Dean and handed him his statement. He internally groaned when he saw that he owed the vet four hundred and seventy-five dollars. _Shit_ he thought as he filled out the check but knowing how much his brother loved the dog, it was worth it. "Okay, we'll call you in a few hours to let you know how it went." She said taking the clipboard back from Dean and stashing the receipt in Ace's file.

Dean nodded. "Thank you. Come on, Sammy, let's go home." He said rewrapping his arm around Sam's shoulders.

Sam leaned heavily on his brother as they made their way back to the car.

DW/SW

Dean glanced over at his brother who had fallen asleep on the car ride home, emotionally exhausted. He quietly got out of the car and then walked over to the passenger side gently waking Sam up. He stood so that he was blocking the small puddle of blood that was in the middle of the street figuring that Sam didn't need to see that.

"Hmm…" Sam groaned sleepily.

"We're home kiddo, wake up." Dean said gently pushing Sam's bangs off to the side.

Sam nodded and climbed out of the car, his legs still half asleep. Dean unlocked the door, glad to find that it was still indeed locked. "Go take a nap okay kid." He suggested. Sam nodded before he walked over to the couch and lay down.

Once Dean was sure that Sam was fast asleep, he walked through the house checking all of the doors and windows feeling relieved and yet a little on edge that all of them were still locked. After checking on Sam again, Dean went out to the backyard and just as he had suspected, the gate that was off to the side of their property was slightly open. He walked over to it and clipped it shut again feeling as if someone was watching him sending a shiver down his spine. He quickly turned around and made his way back inside, locking the door behind him.

"Fuck." He whispered.

Dean was in the middle of making himself a sandwich when the phone rang about ten minutes later. He hurried to answer it, not wanting to wake Sam up. "Hello?" He asked.

There was no answer from the other end of the line, only heavy breathing.

"Who is this?" Dean asked pulling the phone back only to see that the number was blocked. He was starting to get a bit freaked out and growled into the phone. "You have no idea what I'm capable of but trust me you don't want to find out!" He warned.

_What the hell is going on here?_ He asked himself. Dean glanced over at where his brother was sleeping on the couch, tucked underneath a blanket, his soft chestnut bangs splayed across his forehead and tear tracks still drying on his face. The fact that the phone call had come minutes after he'd finished checking the yard after they'd come home to find that their dog had been run over did nothing to calm his fears that there wasn't something going on. It was just too much happening at once to be a coincidence and he was worried.

Dean didn't know what to do or what he had to do to keep Sam safe because while he knew there were others out there, he had no idea what any of them looked like. Hell, they could be his next door neighbors for all Dean knew and that scared the living shit out of him.

Hurrying to his room, he grabbed his laptop and made his way back to the living room. Sitting down on one of the barstools, he typed in the web address for the national sex offender registry. Typing in Lawrence and then scrolling down to find their state, Dean sat and waited for the list to come up. _51! There are fucking 51 of those jackasses living here! _"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," He muttered glancing at Sam asleep on the couch. _What the hell do I do…? I mean, shit anyone of them could know Sammy… could have… could have raped him before_ he thought tears springing to his eyes. _God Sammy, how am I gonna keep you safe?_

Dean wiped his eyes and got up from his seat walking over to the couch. He just stood there watching Sam sleep before coming to a conclusion and growing incredibly pissed off. _You had better be ready _die he thought because he didn't care what he had to do, as long as he was around his brother would never be hurt again. _Okay, we've got an alarm and there's the bat under my bed… but what if one of them shows up with a gun… fuck it… _Dean knew there were things he needed to do but he didn't want to, hell, he wouldn't leave his brother alone and he knew just who to call.

"'Ello?" Mike asked muting the football game he had been watching.

"Mike, it's me. I need you to come over here and watch Sam for me." Dean said moving to the kitchen so he wouldn't wake Sam up.

"Right now?" He asked surprised.

"Please man, I'll explain everything… I just… I need help." Dean practically pleaded. "Something's happened and I'm not quite sure what it means but I know it's not good."

"Okay, okay, I'll be there… give me a couple minutes and I'll be there." Mike replied.

"Yeah okay, thanks. I promise I'll explain everything when you get here." Dean said hanging up just as Sam stirred. He walked back over to the couch and gently brushed a hand through Sam's bangs. "Hey, how ya doing?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged and then rolled over on his side. "I miss him." He said quietly and Dean could swear that there were tears in his brother's voice.

Dean lay down next to Sam and wrapped his arms around him. "I know you do kiddo, I know. I miss him too but he's getting help right now and then tomorrow you and I can bring him home, alright." He said, repeating what both the vet and himself had told Sam earlier in the day.

"He shouldn't have to be getting help. He should be fine." Sam said tears falling down his face.

"And he will be fine, he is fine." Dean reassured wiping a thumb over his brother's cheek.

Sam nodded and sighed.

"Why don't you go back to sleep?" Dean suggested.

Sam shook his head. "Not tired anymore but um, I think I'm gonna go take a shower." He said getting up and walking down the hall.

Dean nodded and stood up, seeing that it was about five he decided he might as well get dinner going. "Shit!" He exclaimed realizing that with everything that had occurred that afternoon, he'd completely forgotten about the groceries. He ran a tired hand over his face and walked outside to his car just as Mike pulled up. He gave his friend a tired smile and a wave and walked towards him.

"So, what's going on?" Mike asked concerned.

"Man, I don't know where to begin… Ace is at the vet for starters." Dean said.

"What? Why?" Mike asked. "Is Sam okay?"

"One question at a time dude, he got hit by a car or at least we think he did." Dean answered.

"What do you mean you think he did?" Mike asked reaching into the trunk and grabbing two of the bags while Dean grabbed the other two.

"We um, we went to the store…" He said motioning to the bags that each of them was carrying. "And when we came home, he was laying in the street. We took him to the vet, they're keeping him overnight… he ah, he should be getting out of surgery soon."

"Jesus man, Sam must be freaked." Mike sighed feeling sorry for his friend. "Why do I feel like there's more?"

"Because I think so too, I mean, it was obviously intentional… there's no way they could have not known that they'd hit him but I um… I'm worried man… the gate was open…" Dean said giving Mike a glance.

"Wait… wait… wait, you think someone let Ace out of the yard and then purposefully hit him?" Mike asked.

"Shit," Dean groaned seeing the melted ice cream but sticking it in the freezer anyways hoping it could be salvaged. "But yeah, I do and um… and maybe I'm paranoid but what if it's…" He said getting the message across anyways.

"You think it's someone from Sam's past don't you?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, I do." Dean answered.

"Why, what makes you think that?" Mike asked.

"Because when we got home, Sam fell asleep on the couch and so I went and walked around the house and the yard and pretty much right after I came in, the phone rang." He explained.

"So?" Mike asked hoping that Dean's suspicions weren't right.

"No one was there well I mean someone was there but they didn't say anything, just heavy breathing. I told them not to call back or I'd reach through the line and pull their balls off." He said a tiny grin on his face but it didn't reach his eyes. "Please tell me I'm being paranoid and it's just a coincidence."

Mike sighed. "I think you might be right, you should go down to the station, talk to them about it. I mean, I know you are keeping contact with them but…"

"Yeah, I just don't wanna leave him alone and I don't want to bring him with me because if it is nothing, I don't want to freak him out over it. The kid's got enough on his plate already without me adding imaginary stalkers to it." Dean said propping the door open with his foot so they could carry the groceries in.

"You want me to stay here with Sam while you go down to the station?" Mike asked while helping to put the groceries away.

"Yeah, would you… I don't really know what they could do if they could do anything at all but I can't just sit here with my thumb up my ass wondering if someone's coming for him." Dean said. "I'll go after dinner."

Mike nodded. "Don't worry, we're not gonna let anything happen to him."

"Thanks man, I know you've got a life outside of helping us but I appreciate it." Dean said preheating the oven.

"Nothing to thank me for." Mike replied. "You know you and Sam are like family to me and then its obvious Sean's got a soft spot for the kid. I mean, who doesn't? You just get suckered in to caring about him…"

Dean laughed a little. "Yeah, ya do."

Sam walked out into the kitchen a few minutes later, his hair wet from his shower and his eyes puffy from crying so hard. "Hey Sammy, you still want the lasagna for dinner tonight?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged and took a seat at the bar.

DW/SW

"What did you find out about our mystery visitor?" Sharpe asked when his partner, Dixon, walked into the station.

"Absolutely nothing that we didn't know already, everyone I talked to said that that address has been empty for at least a year." He sighed slumping down in his seat.

Ever since Chelsea had given them the information that Frank had handed over, Officers Sharpe and Dixon had been busting their asses trying to hunt down this Elias guy. They had gone and talked to people at his last known work address but no one had claimed to have seen him recently. "Have we got anything else to go on or are we doing a stake-out tonight?" Dixon asked.

"We could always go 'talk' to Frank again?" Sharpe suggested.

"Why would you need to talk to Frank?" Dean asked jumping to the conclusion that there was only one Frank that was associated with the detectives. He'd walked in to the station and over to Sharpe's desk when he'd heard the last bit of their conversation.

"Dean, hey, what are you doing here?" Sharpe asked silently cursing.

"I need to talk to you." He said, the look on his face a mix of anger, worried and a little scared.

"Have a seat, what about? Is Sam okay?" He asked.

"Depends… I think… I think someone's stalking us." He said after a minute.

"What would make you think that?" Dixon asked.

"Because today while we were gone, Ace, Sam's dog got hit by a car and yes I know, dogs get out of their yards and get hit all the time but this… it looked deliberate." He explained.

"How so?" Officer Sharpe asked leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

"Because the gate was open and that is a damn hard gate to open, it doesn't… the wind or whatever couldn't do that and I know that the fence is too high for Ace to jump. Also, it was the middle of the freaking day and he was lying in the middle of the street. If any normal person had hit him, they wouldn't have just left him there." Dean sighed. "There's more. After we got home from the vet, Sam fell asleep on the couch and so I went and walked around the house and the yard. A couple minutes after I walk back in, the phone rings."

"Who was it?" Officer Dixon asked.

"No one, I mean, there was no number or name on the caller ID and then when I answered it, the person didn't say anything… they were just quiet and… and heavy breathing." Dean answered.

Officers Dixon and Sharpe shared a look and Dean caught on to it. "What? What's going on?" He asked nervously.

"We're looking for someone." Officer Sharpe replied.

"Who?" Dean asked.

"Frank had a visitor last week; I guess it was some guy named Elias who used to be a costumer of his." All three of them were quiet as they knew what that meant.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean yelled. "And you didn't think to let me know about this? I mean, it's my brother he's after for Christ's sake! So what, you think he's the one responsible for… for Ace and the phone call?"

"It's possible." Officer Sharpe nodded before handing Dean a flyer.

"What's this?" Dean asked.

"That is Elias. He was Frank's visitor and it sounds as if he could be your stalker." Officer Sharpe explained.

Dean nodded, his jaw clenched shut as he stared at the sketch of the man. "But why? Sam escaped from Frank over a year ago, it doesn't make any sense?" Dean asked trying to come up with a reason himself. "Why wait all this time?"

"We don't know." Officer Dixon answered. "We've been looking for him for almost a week now but he's good at covering his tracks."

"Not good enough." Dean answered. "When I find that son of a bitch, I'm gonna…" He made a fist and shook his head, sighing. "So what do we do, how we do stop this guy?" Dean asked.

"Well, you keep an eye on Sam and on your house and if you notice anything call us immediately." Officer Dixon said.

"That's it… I tell you that I think some perverted bastard is stalking my brother and you tell me to watch the house…" Dean growled impatiently and stood up ready to leave. "Thanks for letting me know that, I mean I kind of thought I wasn't supposed to pay attention at all… Hell, maybe ask the guy to come over for a barbeque! I came here for answers but I guess I'm on my own on this, I'll see you guys later."

Dixon and Sharpe could see how stressed Dean was and decided to let his little sarcastic rant go.

"There is something else we can do." Officer Sharpe said.

"What?" Dean snapped. So far, this was turning out to be a really, really shitty day.

"We could move you guys to a safe house." He answered.

"Isn't that like for witness protection or something?" Dean asked.

Officer Sharpe nodded. "We'd find a house or a place for you two to stay while we find this guy. There would be two officers with you guys at the house at all times." He said.

"When do we move in?" Dean asked.

"First we have to find the house then we'll call you guys and let you know. I'm sorry Dean, I know it's not much but I can promise you that we will find this guy." Officer Sharpe said looking Dean in the eye.

"I know you're doing everything you can but still… is that kid ever going to be safe?" Dean asked feeling a bit inadequate. It was his job to keep his little brother safe and considering how the past year had gone, Dean didn't think he was doing a very good job of it. "And another thing, there can't be another trial… Sam, I'm not putting him thought that again. I won't."

"We know. We'll keep you posted." Officer Sharpe replied.

Dean nodded and stood up. "You better, I'll talk to you soon."

DW/SW

Dean was walking out of the police station when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He smiled a bit when he saw the caller ID hoping that they would give him good news. He was relieved when Julie told him that the surgery had gone fine. Tom had put a pin in his hip to help keep it stable so that he could heal properly and that it could come out in a couple of weeks and that Ace was now resting and was expected to make a full recovery. He'd told her that the two of them would be by tomorrow afternoon after Sam got out of school for the day to pick him up. He smiled, glad he had some good news to deliver.

DW/SW

Dean woke from his light sleep and sighed, stretching as he looked at his alarm clock. _Five in the morning… you gotta be kidding me_ he thought tiredly and knew he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep anytime soon. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and got up out of bed heading into the bathroom. After, he walked to Sam's room and quietly opened the door seeing Sam lying on his side, his back to the door and his shoulders shaking. "Oh Sammy," He whispered before making his way to his brother's bed and lying down next to him, pulling him close.

Sam felt the bed dip and sniffled before Dean pulled him across the bed so his back was to his brother's chest.

"Nightmare?" Dean guessed finding one of Sam's hands and taking it in his own giving it a squeeze.

Sam nodded snuggling closer to Dean.

"'Bout Ace?" He asked and Sam nodded again.

"He's fine remember, the vet called and said he was fine?" Dean asked gently running his free hand through Sam's hair.

"I know… I know he's fine now but I can see him lying in the street and… and not moving… but… but instead of him getting up, he just lies there and you… and you tell me that he's gone and…" Sam stopped talking as he began to sob.

"Okay, Sammy breathe, it's alright. That's not what happened hmm kid?" Dean soothed. "Shh, Sammy, shh, come on breathe it's gonna be okay, everything's gonna be okay." _God, I hope I'm not lying_. He still hadn't told Sam about Elias or having to possible move temporarily and he wasn't quite sure how or when he should bring it up.

"Come on," He said a while later after Sam had managed to calm down some.

"Where… where are we going?" Sam asked wiping his eyes and followed Dean out of his room.

"To the kitchen, thought maybe a cup of hot chocolate might be good." Dean said smiling a little.

Sam nodded and sat down at the table watching as Dean got the kettle going before taking out two mugs. Once that was done, he made his way to the table and sat down across from Sam. They sat in mutual silence for a while, both having things they needed to say but not knowing where to start.

"I'm sorry," Sam whispered as he studied his hands some minutes later.

Dean did a double take. "What for?" He asked.

"For acting like a brat at the store." He explained.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, that was a little unexpected because we talked about it and I thought we'd cleared that up so yeah, I was surprised that you were that angry. I mean you kind of looked like you wanted to punch either me or Rachel." He smirked. "Like you hated us."

"I don't want you to hate me." Sam said quietly.

"I don't hate you, I never could." Dean replied strongly.

"Even if I was the reason she broke up with you?" Sam asked.

"She hasn't broken up with me Sam so I don't really know what you're so worried about." Dean said.

"She's hasn't yet but… but what if she finds out about me and… and breaks up with you because of it. Would you hate me then?" Sam asked.

"Sam, if she did find out about what happened to you, which she won't because it's none of her damn business but if she did find out and she broke up with me for it well then, fine, I really couldn't care less." Dean answered.

Sam looked surprised.

"How many times am I going to have to say it Sam?" Dean asked sighing tiredly. "You're my number one and if she can't accept that or can't accept you… then I'll be glad that it's over because it wouldn't have lasted anyway."

Sam nodded and looked away.

"Do you want me to break up with her?" Dean asked hoping Sam would say no.

Sam shook his head. "No, I mean, I don't really like sharing you but I want you to be happy and I can see that she makes you happy so go out and have fun, just don't forget about me okay."

Dean smiled and stood up as the kettle boiled. "Never Sammy." He brought the two mugs over and handed one to Sam before sitting back down. They sat in companionable silence for a while, one feeling reassured and the other fighting with himself. Dean opened his mouth to say something and then shut it quickly coming to the conclusion that for now, he would keep Elias a secret, no need to worry Sam over possibilities.

DW/SW

"Promise me you'll keep an eye on him?" Dean asked waving at Sean as he walked into the shop.

"You know I will, don't worry, no one's going to hurt him Dean. I'll make sure of it." Mike replied.

"Thanks. I know I'm probably being annoying but I just… I'm worried. If the guy can do that to Ace and I don't know maybe, that's little stuff for him but I don't want to even consider the things he'd do to Sam." Dean said tiredly, he hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. He stayed awake most the night watching over Sam and thinking.

"It's alright, you've got every right to worry just remember you don't have to do it all by yourself." Mike answered.

"Yeah, I know. I'll talk to you later, bye." He said hanging up and grabbing one of the donuts out of the bag Sean had brought in.

"What's going on? You don't look so good." Sean observed seeing the dark circles under Dean's eyes and the way his face looked pinched.

"Just stressed." Dean answered.

"Over what?" He asked.

"Ace got hit by a car, we got a creepy phone call and Frank got a visit from a guy who apparently liked Sam… a lot." Dean crushed his Styrofoam cup in his hand and tossed it into the trash.

"Wow, that sucks and what, you think it's all the same person?" He asked.

Dean nodded.

"What are the cops doing?" Sean asked.

"They're looking for the guy but um, if anything else happens we may have to move to a safe house or something." He answered.

"Isn't that like going into hiding?" Sean asked.

"Sort of, they use it in witness protection cases… we'd basically have two cops with us all the time." Dean explained.

"What do you think about that?" Sean asked.

"I just want that kid to be safe so if we have to go into hiding or have our own little police detail then I'll do it." Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know how to tell Sam, he's gonna… he's been doing so well and I'm so proud of him, I just don't want anything to happen to set him back."

Sean nodded. "Yeah, well, you know if either of you guys need anything, Mike and I are here."

Dean nodded. "So, who are we working on today?" He asked changing the subject and walking into the garage feeling like he needed something to distract him otherwise he'd drown in his worries.

DW/SW

Dean smiled when Sam climbed into the car glad to see that he appeared to be unscathed from the day. "Hey kiddo how was your day?" He asked.

Sam shrugged. He'd been feeling down all day, just wanting to see his dog and had barely spoken to any of his friends though that wasn't completely unusual behavior for him. "Can we go get Ace now?"

Dean glanced at his brother's face and knew Sam wouldn't be fully happy again until he knew his dog was okay.

Dean looked at the clock on the dashboard, it read 3:15. "Soon," He answered. Seeing that Sam looked dejected by his answer, Dean continued. "How about we go drop your backpack off at home and then head down to the vet's office? That plan sound okay to you?" He asked.

Sam nodded and gave Dean a small smile. Sam dropped his backpack off on the kitchen table and then raced back outside. "Okay, I'm ready, let's go!" He shouted impatiently running to the car ahead of Dean.

Dean laughed at his brother's eagerness and started the engine. Fifteen minutes later, they were parked outside the vet's office and Sam ran charging inside but for a different reason this time and he had a smile on his face. "I can really bring him home?" He asked Julie.

She nodded. "Yup, just let me go get him for ya, I'll be right back 'kay."

Sam smiled and stood tapping his foot on the floor.

Dean wanted to tell his brother to calm down a bit but he didn't have the heart to rain on Sam's good mood, at least for the moment. He knew he had to have a talk with Sam and it wasn't going to be a fun one so he might as well enjoy the smiles while they were there.

"Here he is," Julie walked back out and Ace seemed to perk up a bit when he saw Sam. Sam took the leash from Julie and kneeled down not liking that Ace's right back leg was wrapped up in a blue bandage even if it was helping him and only temporary.

"Hey Ace, did you miss me boy? I missed you. I'm so glad you're okay and that you get to come home now. I promise, I'll take real good care of you just like you did for me." Sam said before standing back up.

Dean took the prescription from Julie. "Thanks again, we'll see you next week."

"Bye Ace," She smiled. "Bye guys."

"Bye!" Dean called glad that something was finally turning out okay.

* * *

So, how was that? I hoped you enjoyed it. I appreciate you taking the time to read the chapter and would love to hear back from you so please let me know what you thought. Thanks! :)


	12. Chapter 12

Hey guys! Here's the next chapter... sorry it took so long, I couldn't quite decide how I wanted this chapter to go. I think I've rewritten it like five times so I'm glad I finally came up with one that I'm happy with.

So who saw the Supernatural surprise? I thought that was freaking hilarious! Jensen was just too funny climbing on top of the car and lip-synching... good lord, I love that man! He had me busting up laughing and then hearing Jared laugh off camera... they are SO entertaining...I think I've watched it like fifteen times since Thursday.

Thanks for checking out my story and continuing to read it! I hope you like this next chapter and please leave me a review telling me what you thought of it. I love hearing from all of you. I'll try and update soon, hopefully by the end of next week. Thanks again! Enjoy! :)

* * *

"What's this?" Sean asked as he and Dean walked through the front parking lot and up the small set of steps leading to the shop.

Dean looked up and saw that Sean was pointing to Sam's Ford explorer which he had just put up for sale knowing that they could use the money and with Sam never driving it, it wasn't worth it to keep the car around. "Oh ah, I thought I'd sell it… maybe a get a little extra cash. God knows we could use it."

"You guys doing okay?" Sean asked concerned, he knew how stressed his friend was lately.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, we're fine." He lied starting to set up the front desk.

"Dean!" Sean shouted a couple minutes later. He sounded worried. "I think you need to come see this."

"What is it?" Dean asked walking into the back of the shop. "What the hell happened?" He asked angrily when he saw tools lying on the floor and some of the carts had been knocked over. As Sean picked up what he could, Dean walked around to see if there was any damage to the cars that were in need of service. He was feeling lucky until he got to the Jaguar in the corner and spotted a note tapped to the windshield. There hadn't been any actual damage done to the car itself but the note was rather disturbing causing Dean to let out an almost animalistic growl.

Hearing Dean's outburst, Sean got up and walked over to him who was breathing heavily and his nostrils were flaring. "Dean, what's wrong?" He asked concerned by the different emotions warring across Dean's face.

Without warning, Dean leaned over and promptly emptied his stomach onto the painted cement floor.

Sean looked away for a moment and then walked over to the counter to grab Dean a cup of water for him to rinse his mouth out with. "Here" He said handing Dean the flimsy Dixie cup.

"Thanks," Dean said seeming a little calmer and setting the cup as well as the piece of paper down on the tool stand.

Sean glanced at the paper and immediately knew why Dean had lost his stomach contents. On the top was a letter which read _'It was nice to meet your parents. They seemed like such… co-operative people. I can't wait to see Sam again.'_ And on the bottom was a picture of two people lying on what looked to be a dirt road and they had clearly been shot. Sean instantly knew that the people in the picture were John and Mary. What he didn't know was who the hell had ransacked their business and left that note behind.

DW/SW

"Dean?" Ryan asked surprised to see the young man standing in his precinct for the second time in less than a week.

"We need to talk, where's Taylor?" Dean asked skipping all niceties, to say he was pissed would be the understatement of the year. He wanted to kill something or rather someone and felt sorry for the next unlucky bastard who pissed him off.

"In his office, why?" Ryan questioned.

"Get Scott and meet me in there." Dean said before walking towards the captain's office and entering without knocking.

"Have you got that… oh, ah, hi Dean?" Captain Taylor said sounding a little flustered. "How can I help you son?"

Dean thought about being sarcastic but that really wouldn't help him accomplish anything and right now, all he wanted to do was go pick his brother up from school and drive as far from this town as he could. "Earlier in the week, I came in here and talked to Ryan and Scott because I thought we were being stalked or something. They told me about the search for Frank's visitor, I'm going to assume you haven't caught him yet."

"We think we have a viable lead as to his whereabouts." Captain Taylor replied trying to come up with something that would calm Dean down or at least reassure him, he could feel the anger rolling off of him in waves.

"Then I suggest you get your men out there and arrest him already before he can do anymore damage." Dean answered.

Before Captain Taylor could say anything, Ryan and Scott walked into the room and joined the conversation. "Things have changed?" Ryan asked.

Dean nodded.

Scott sighed. "What's happened?"

"My shop was ransacked and whoever did it left this," He said handing Scott the note. "I say we get that safe house or whatever it is yesterday because I don't want to sit around waiting for this guy to show up anymore, I can't, not with Sam's safety on the line."

All three policemen nodded in agreement and a plan was formed.

DW/SW

Mike was in the middle of giving a lecture when the phone in his classroom rang. "One sec guys," He said striding over to the side of the room and picking it up. He hung up a moment later, his face looking somber and worried. "Sam, can I talk to you for a minute outside please?" He asked.

Sam nodded and hesitantly stood up from his seat, trying to ignore the stares that followed him. Around school he was pretty much known as the quiet kid in the corner who never got in any trouble and he knew his classmates were probably figuring he'd finally screwed up.

Mike closed the door behind Sam and sighed tiredly, wishing that Dean had already dealt with this issue. "Sam, that was the front office, they want you to get your things together and head down there."

"Why?" Sam asked. "Am I… am I in trouble?"

Mike shook his head. "I don't think so, I just think you're going home a bit early, that's all." He answered not wanting to make Sam panic before Dean had even showed up.

That answer didn't sit well with Sam. He knew that students usually got called down to the office unexpectedly for two reasons. Either they were in trouble and headed to see the principle or they'd be leaving early due to 'family issues'. "Is he okay?" He whispered.

"Is who okay?" Mike asked a little confused.

"Dean, is he okay?" Sam asked a little desperate sounding, his mind instantly playing the worst case scenario for him.

Mike sighed again but nodded. "Dean's fine, he'll be here in a couple minutes to pick you up alright?"

Sam nodded walking back to the classroom and beginning to pack up his bag. He stood up ready to walk out of class but turned around suddenly. "You don't know what's going on, do you?" He asked hopefully and getting a few curious looks from some classmates who were wondering what was going on.

"I'm sorry Sam, I don't but I'm sure Dean will tell you when he gets here." Mike replied apologetically.

Sam nodded again before walking out of the class feeling very anxious as he headed towards the office. He didn't know what this was about, but he doubted that it was anything good, even if Dean was well enough to get him from school.

DW/SW

Dean parked the Impala and headed towards the main office, ready to wait for Sam feeling very nervous himself. Reading that letter and then seeing the photo had really shook him up and he knew the conversation he was about to have with Sam would not be a pleasant one. Opening the glass entry door, he saw Sam sitting in a chair in the corner and offered him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "You ready to go?" He asked after he had signed Sam out.

Sam nodded and followed Dean out of the office.

"What's going on?" Sam asked nervously walking beside Dean and towards the Impala.

Dean ignored him, not ready to answer that question yet.

Sam let it go and kept walking to the car. "Okay, now I'm really confused, why is Ace in the backseat? Are we going somewhere?" He asked unsure whether he should be excited or worried.

Dean nodded.

"Where?" Sam repeated.

"Get in the car, I'll tell you on the way there." Dean said trying to stall and not sure who he was trying to protect more, himself or Sam.

Sam nodded wearily and climbed into the passenger seat reaching back to give Ace a pat on the head.

Dean slid in behind the wheel and started the engine, originally going towards their house but confusing Sam immensely when he drove past their street.

"Dean… you do realize that our house is back there right?" Sam asked.

Dean nodded again. "I know."

"So why are we still going?" Sam asked.

"Cause we're not going home." Dean answered.

Sam groaned at having to play twenty questions. "Dean, tell me already would you?" He asked sounding a bit annoyed.

Dean sighed and began talking before he could change his mind. "We're not going to live at home for the next little while."

"What? Why?" Sam asked.

"Because we've been getting… threats among other things and we need to go somewhere safe." Dean replied.

"Why isn't our house safe anymore and what do you mean by threats? I haven't noticed anything." Sam asked his emotions now heading towards worried.

_At least I did something right then_ Dean thought. "Phone calls mostly. I kind of just thought we might be able to stick it out but…"

"What made you change your mind?" Sam asked.

"When Sean and I went to work today… the shop had been broken into." Dean answered.

"Oh… wow, is everything okay… I mean was anything stolen?" He asked.

"No, it didn't look like anything was stolen but the place was just messed up is all. Sean's down there right now, sorting through everything." Dean explained.

"Couldn't it be a random thing?" Sam asked a bit hopeful that it had been.

"I don't think so." Dean answered.

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Because I was walking around the shop checking on customer's cars just to make sure none of them had been broken in to or anything and I found a note taped to one of the cars." Dean replied.

"What did it say?" Sam asked, not one hundred percent sure he wanted to know the answer if the look on Dean's face was anything to go by.

Dean looked out the driver side window and bit his lip.

"Dean?" Sam asked hesitantly after a few minutes had passed and Dean had yet to answer.

Dean shook his head fighting back tears. There was no way he was telling Sam about the note.

"Come on, it can't be that bad can it?" Sam asked hoping Dean would prove him wrong.

"Believe me Sam, it was." Dean answered.

"How?" Sam asked a small part of him telling him to back off but he didn't obey.

"You wouldn't understand." Dean said his voice tinged with anger and maybe a little jealousy.

"Why?" Sam asked.

Dean's knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Because you never loved your parents, you've never loved someone so much and then had them taken from you when you least expected it Sam so drop it because there's no way you can know about this, no one's ever meant that much to you." He said not realizing how harsh his words were. "You've never really cared about someone so just shut up for once okay? I can't deal with all of your little poor me issues right now!"

Sam, shocked and hurt at his brother's words, clammed up immediately and turned away to stare out the window, tears pooling in his eyes as he tried to tell himself that Dean didn't really mean it but it was a hard sale. The last leg of the trip was driven in strained and tense silence.

About twenty minutes later, Dean pulled up to a small, quaint looking house and killed the engine before getting out of the car, not saying a word to Sam. Sam sat there for a minute before turning to Ace and grabbing the end of his leash, exiting the car and walking up the front steps.

"… So I'm assuming you told him about Elias?" Ryan asked as he, Dean, Scott and two other officers, Neil Kylie and Angela Brown, stood in the living room.

"Who's Elias?" Sam asked standing away from the group. If Dean hadn't been mad at him, he might have gone up but stayed close to his safety blanket. As it was though, it seemed his safety blanket wasn't available right now.

Ryan turned to face Dean. "You didn't tell him?" He asked sounding a bit angry.

"Didn't tell me what?" Sam asked starting to get very worried. He didn't know what was going on and it was scaring him plus the fact that there were two strangers in the house didn't help matters.

"I can't believe you didn't tell him, this would have been so much easier if you had!" Scott chimed in.

"Then you tell him because right now I don't fucking care!" Dean yelled walking down the hall without sparing his little brother a second glance not noticing the tears that were slowly making their way down his brother's cheeks.

DW/SW

Sam watched Dean walk away and looked at the officers briefly before following Dean down the hall. Not wanting to be with strangers but also not wanting to annoy Dean anymore than he already had, Sam chose to take Ace into the bathroom with him and sat down on the floor. He turned to the faucet on and locked the door before he began to cry, burying his face in Ace's coat.

Dean felt like shit as he lied on his bed in what was to be his and Sam's bedroom for the duration of their stay at the safe house. It wasn't that he actually didn't care but he was just too stressed and exhausted to deal with Sam right now. After all, that was pretty much all he did now was deal with Sam and his issues. He rolled over and sighed as he thought about how much simpler his life used to be. While he had known that people like Frank and Elias existed, he'd never really cared because he hadn't known anyone who had been through that. Now though, he knew and loved someone who had been tortured daily by the two of them and countless others and the fact that he couldn't punish them the way he saw fit frustrated him to no end. Then with knowing who his parent's killer was but not being able to do anything about it, that only served to make him angrier. Those weren't the only things weighing on his mind though, they were beginning to have money issues and he wasn't sure how he was going to fix that. With the mortgage, car payments and just daily living expenses it was bad enough… add to it, the cost of Sam's surgery and Ace's unexpected trip to the vet, Dean was beginning to get really worried and he knew he'd never ask for help, his pride getting in the way too much. Speaking of his pride, Dean had realized for the first time the other day that he hadn't been laid in over a year! That thought was kind of scary to him and really depressing when he thought about it too much. On top of that, things with Rachel were… messy to say the least and Dean wasn't sure how to clean it up without ruining his chances of having a relationship later on. He knew each one of those issues could be tied back to his brother and while he never regretted adopting Sam, he was starting to feel… restricted though he knew he wouldn't change his life for anything. After living with the kid for over a year Dean couldn't imagine a life that didn't include Sam and he knew he had to apologize. _I'll just sleep for a while, no use talking to him when I'm still fired up_ Dean thought.

DW/SW

By the time Dean woke up, it was darker outside and a quick glance at the bedside clock told him that it was past six-thirty in the evening. His stomach grumbled reminding him that he hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast and he tiredly climbed out of bed, wiping the sleep from his eyes and he headed for the kitchen intent on making himself some grub. He wasn't entirely surprised to see that Ryan and Scott had already left. They had been working on Sam's case for close to a year and neither one wanted to give it up.

Officer Kylie, a cop Dean had only met for the first time earlier that day, scoffed and rolled his eyes when he saw Dean walk into the living room, his clothes rumpled and his hair sticking up at weird angles. "Look who rose from the dead." He said stretching out on the couch.

Dean smirked and opened the fridge. He was in the middle of eating his bowl of cereal when he realized that there were only three occupants in the room. "Where's Sam?" He asked around a mouthful of Wheaties. "Have either of you seen him lately?" He asked.

"I think he's still in the bathroom." Kylie offered.

"What's he doing in there?" Dean asked.

"I don't know but he went in there after you said you didn't care and hasn't come out since." He answered.

_Shit!_ Dean thought as he jumped off the couch and raced down the hall, memories of Sam's attempted suicide fresh on his mind. Stopping outside the door, he banged on it and called Sam's name. "Sammy, you okay in there?" He asked.

He wasn't completely surprised when he didn't get an answer but it didn't help in easing his worries either. Dean sighed and leaned against the door. "I know you're mad at me, I deserve it… just let me know you're okay and I'll leave you alone, alright?" He bargained.

From the other side, he heard a muffled 'why do you care?' and it broke his heart making him realize just how cruel his words and actions had been earlier.

"I'm sorry." He muttered again before moving away from the door and heading back to his room.

DW/SW

Dean wasn't sure how much time had passed but after Ace had gone out for the night and was now curled up on his bed in the kitchen, he heard the door to his and Sam's room squeak open. He sat up and waited for the figure to finally cross over the threshold. Dean knew he'd really hurt Sam when his brother didn't even acknowledge him before climbing into the second bed.

Thinking Sam was asleep, Dean quietly crept out of his bed and walked over to Sam's fixing the blanket over his shoulders. "I'm so sorry Sam. I didn't mean a word I said." He said ready to turn back to his own bed when Sam's whisper stopped him.

"When I was little, I would do anything anyone ever asked me to because I thought that maybe if I could just be better than maybe someone might love me. No matter how many times I got hit or how cold I was or… or how many times I went to bed hungry, I always tried to do what was asked." He whispered and Dean heard the tears in his brother's voice. "So yeah, maybe you loved your parents when I didn't even know mine but at least you got the chance to love them and know that they loved you back." Sam said and Dean felt like the biggest dick on the planet.

"I'm sorry Sam." Dean repeated.

Sam was quiet for the next couple minutes. "I know you are but that doesn't change the fact that it hurt. How could you think that Dean? I mean, if something were to happen to you… I think I'd fall apart so I think I've got to understand it a little right? And you've always cared about when I was upset before, why not tonight?" Sam asked.

"I don't know Sammy but… I'm so sorry for the things I said. I didn't mean it, not any of it… you've got to know that. And as for not caring, you know or at least I hope you know that's not true." Dean was practically begging for forgiveness. "And I know it's no excuse but I just… seeing the picture of my parents after they'd been shot… it got to me."

"That's what the note was, a picture of them?" Sam asked putting two and two together.

After a moment Dean nodded. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry." Sam replied.

"Not your fault." Dean sighed and shook his head. "I um… I guess we should get some sleep." He said after there was a bit of awkward silence.

Sam nodded. "Probably." He said quietly and Dean went to stand up but was surprised to feel a tug on his wrist. "I want to talk more."

Dean looked away. "About what?" He asked.

"Why are we here? I mean, I know you said we'd been getting threats but from who?" Sam asked.

"A bad person… someone who wants to hurt you." He answered retaking his seat on the bed and instantly regretting the way he'd phrased it when he saw all the color drain from Sam's face.

"What? Who?" Sam asked beginning to panic. "Frank is still in jail right, please tell me he didn't get out."

"It's not Frank, I promise Sam. That bastard is still where he belongs." Dean said his tone angry.

"Then who is it Dean? Is it Elias… the one you guys were talking about?" Sam asked.

Dean nodded. "Yeah."

Sam nodded but was too quiet for Dean's liking as he turned his head and stared in the opposite direction.

"You okay?" Dean asked as he reached over and gave Sam's hand a small squeeze.

Sam briefly glanced at Dean and returned the squeeze. "Yeah, I'm okay." He said in an unsteady voice and Dean wasn't so sure he believed him but knew Sam would come to him when he was ready or at least he hoped his brother was still comfortable enough to.

DW/SW

Dean was woken up in the middle of the night and at first, wasn't sure why but a quick look around the room told him told him the answer. He spotted Sam sitting in the far corner of the room and could hear the quiet sobs that Sam was desperately trying to contain.

He got out of his bed and padded across the room stopping to kneel in front of Sam. "Sammy?" He asked softly.

Sam reached a shaky hand up and tried to stop the sobs that were threatening to break free.

"Come here," He said wrapping his arms around Sam and tucking Sam's head beneath his chin. "Shh, you're safe here, I've got you… its okay, Sammy, its okay… shh, come on, it's okay…" He cooed as sobs wracked his brother's body.

After a while Sam's sobs died down but he was still holding on tight to Dean's shirt.

"You okay now?" Dean asked continuing with the gentle rocking motion.

Sam shook his head no.

Dean nodded. "It's okay, everything's gonna be okay." He whispered. "Do you wanna talk?"

When Sam didn't answer, Dean didn't continue the conversation and just sat there slowly rocking Sam back and forth wondering where to take the conversation now. "I'm never gonna be safe am I?" Sam said in a quiet and broken whisper a couple minutes later.

"You are safe." Dean reassured.

"No, no I'm not." Sam argued pulling back a little but not actually letting go of Dean. "I'm not Dean and I never will be because I know we're never going to catch all of them, we can't… that's just… there were just too many of them. And… and they're not gonna stop just because I want them to. That didn't stop them the first time." He said bitterly.

"I'll stop them." Dean said determinedly. "I don't care what it takes Sam, I'll put a bullet through every bastard's skull who thinks he has the right to touch you without your permission. I'll fucking kill 'em all."

Sam was quiet as he rested his head against Dean's chest, glad to have his safe place back as Dean rewrapped his arms around him. "I forgive you, ya know." He said a while later.

Dean nodded relieved to have Sam's absolution for his behavior but he still felt like a jerk for acting that way towards the most important person in his life.

"And um, and I'm sorry if I get on your nerves and annoy you sometimes. I know I can be a bit clingy." Sam apologized in a meek voice.

"Don't be sorry for that." Dean replied. "You're my little brother, you're supposed to be annoying. I think it's in the handbook they give you guys." He said making Sam laugh a little.

Dean smiled when he heard Sam laugh. That sound was like music to his ears and he knew he'd never hear enough of it.

"Let me guess, big brothers are supposed to be jerks?" Sam asked a small smile on his face.

Dean scoffed and nodded rubbing his cheek against Sam's mop of curls. "I think it's in the fine print yeah but ya know, only we can be jerks to you guys."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I know." He said before the light-hearted mood shifted and Dean tried to prepare himself for what he knew was coming.

"So this Elias guy… did I um… did I know him?" Sam asked and Dean knew what his brother was implying.

"I think so, yeah." He answered wrapping his arms tighter around Sam.

Sam nodded and he bit his lip, trying to fight back the familiar sting. He didn't remember the name and he highly doubted he'd know him if he saw a picture of him. He knew a lot of 'victim's' always said that they'd never forget the face of their attacker but after four years of almost non-stop torture and abuse, all of them started to look the same to Sam. They had all turned into the same monster, names and faces weren't important anymore, only the fact that they wanted something from him that he didn't want to give. "You promise he won't get me?" Sam asked tearfully.

"Promise." Dean answered kissing the top of Sam's head. "Come on, it's been a long day, let's go get some sleep. We can talk more in the morning alright." He said standing up and holding out a hand for Sam.

Sam took it but didn't move just stood staring at the carpet.

"I don't think you're gonna be too comfortable like that, you wanna try the bed?" He joked.

"Can I sleep with you?" Sam asked quietly.

Dean nodded. "You know you don't have to ask." He said as they both made their way towards the bed Dean had originally fallen asleep in. After Dean had lain down, Sam practically pounced onto the bed burying his head in Dean's chest, fine tremors still coursing through him. "Close your eyes baby brother, I've got you." He whispered tucking Sam closer against him.

Sam nodded and allowed the knowledge of being safe, protected and loved in his brother's arms to lull him to sleep.

* * *

Hey! Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and please feel free to let me know what you thought! I'll try and update soon! :)


	13. Chapter 13

Hi guys! I'm really sorry for the delay but I hope you enjoy the chapter none the less. It's a bit of a set up for what I've got planned so I hope it's not boring as it's mostly talk.

I want to send out a huge thank you to everyone who is reading this and to those of you who send me a review, you have no idea how appreciated each one is. They really do mean a lot and they also help me write the story so I hope you leave me a review after you read this chapter, if not, I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks again! I'll try to update soon. :)

* * *

Sam woke up the next morning and stretched slowly before realizing he was alone in the room and by the feel of the sheets; he'd say Dean had woken up a while ago. Wrapping a smallish flannel blanket around himself, he walked out to the kitchen to find the man he thought was Officer Kylie sitting at the table with a cup of coffee; he looked to be pretty busy. Sam hesitated in the doorway and looked nervously between the kitchen and where the officer was sitting going over some papers of some sort.

"There's water in the pot if you want to make yourself a cup." Neil said trying to break the ice between Sam and him. The kid looked uncomfortable to say the least.

Sam nodded but didn't say anything as he walked over to the counter and took out a mug from the cabinet beginning to make himself a cup.

DW/SW

"Sean, it's Dean." He said when his colleague finally answered the phone.

"Hey," Sean replied.

"How are things on your end?" Dean asked concerned. He knew there was an undercover officer staying at the shop with Sean until this whole mess was cleaned up but he was still worried about the safety of his friends, business and customers.

"We're still sorting through things though it looks like we may have to replace a few jacks and such." Sean answered. "Tony's here now so don't worry about me, alright? And Mike's fine too, he's taking precautions so just take care of the kid and yourself and we'll all be good okay?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah," He said quietly and Sean thought there was a slightly distressed tone to his friend's voice.

"How about you guys, you two okay?" He asked concerned.

"Yeah, we're fine." Dean lied.

Sean nodded though he didn't believe Dean. He knew what the two of them were like and with the pressure they were under, he doubted either of them was anywhere near fine. "How did Sam take the news?"

"As well as could be expected I guess," Dean answered. "Listen, I should go… I just wanted to check in and make sure you were still okay."

"I'm fine Dean, don't worry." Sean reassured. "Remember, if you or Sam need _anything_ ever, all you gotta do is say so." He said hoping Dean would get the message.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, you too, bye." He said before hanging up. He sighed and hung his head, the words he'd said to Sam yesterday still eating him up. While he was relieved Sam had forgiven him, he knew the kid wasn't over it yet and his brother's confession about wanting to be loved when he was little and never receiving that kind of affection had hit him hard. All he could see when he closed his eyes was that picture that had come with the packet of information on Sam's history… a curly brown haired five year old with big, sad eyes and the scenes that popped into his head as he thought about what Sam's life must have been like made him want to cry. Pushing his emotions down and putting on his 'game-face', Dean walked back inside the house.

DW/SW

After hanging up the phone, Sean dialed Mike's number. He knew there were things worrying his friend and some of which he could do nothing about but there had to be some way he could help. "Hi Mike, it's Sean. I just got off the phone with Dean and I think you and I need to talk because obviously the guy's stressed and we both know he's not going to take care of himself, at least not right now so just give me a call back when you get this and hopefully we can figure something out. Talk to you later, bye." He said, leaving a message when Mike didn't pick up.

DW/SW

Mike's freshmen smirked at him when his cell phone went off in the middle of class. "Sorry guys, one sec," He said walking over to his desk and turning it off. Before he did though, he noticed that he had a message and just reminded himself to check it after class when he had his free period. "Hey come on, I give you guys one freebie, why can I get one?" He asked walking back to his podium.

"Fine, just this once." One boy said the rest of the class in agreement.

"Thanks for your kindness," Mike smiled sarcastically. He loved joking around with his students, he wasn't all too much older than them and he liked being a laid back teacher, someone his kids, as he called them, could come to. "So, where were we?" He asked getting back on topic.

Half an hour later the bell rang and he was about to go check his phone when he heard a cough behind him. "Mr. McNearny?" James asked standing in the doorway.

"James, what are you doing here? Don't you have class?" He asked.

James nodded. "I can't concentrate." He answered.

It was Mike's turn to nod. "What's on your mind?" He asked motioning for him to come into the room.

"Where's Sam?" James asked. "I… no one's seen him all day and I tried calling his house but no one picked up. And I know what happened at the shop. Is everything okay or are Sam and Dean in some kind of trouble?"

Mike looked at the sixteen year old standing in front of him. He and Sam seemed like an unlikely pair, while James was a bright kid, he was… less inclined than Sam to do good in his studies and was outgoing and social whereas Sam preferred to work on his schoolwork rather than go to a party. But he knew James had stood up for Sam on several occasions and the fact that when the rest of the school had practically ignored the admittedly quiet and sometimes 'weird' kid, he hadn't spoke volumes to Mike about James' loyalty. "I'm not completely sure what's going on myself," Mike started. "Dean's not… incredibly forthcoming with his problems but I do know that we won't be seeing either of them for a little while. I'm sorry I can't tell you more James, I know you're a good friend to Sam and I appreciate it and I know Dean does too but there are some things that are better left unsaid."

James nodded, he liked hanging out with Sam. Sure, the guy was a little shy and not the best in social situations but James thought Sam was a pretty nice kid and he wished the rest of the school would lay off him a bit. Also, thinking about what Sean had told him, he'd gotten a bit more protective of his friend after learning that tidbit of Sam's history. He'd been upset and surprised to learn that his friend had been abused at one point, he had no idea what that would feel like. "Sam's um… Sam's safe right?" He asked.

Mike nodded. "He's got Dean with him and trust me, there's no way Dean would ever let anyone hurt that kid."

"Yeah, well if you do see him, tell him I say 'hi' will ya?" James asked.

"I will, who knows maybe I can convince him to pick up the phone." Mike smiled. Dean had told him about Sam's awkward phone conversation with Kate. He glanced at the clock.

"Yeah, I should probably get back to class, hunh?" James smiled.

"Yeah, I'll see you later though alright." He replied, watching as James left the classroom. Once he was alone, he pulled out his cell and saw that the missed call was from Sean. _That's odd_ he thought. He had met the guy a couple of times and he knew Dean trusted him but still, he hadn't had a whole lot of contact with him.

"Sean, it's Mike… I got your message." He said once Sean had answered the phone.

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about Dean. I'm worried, I mean I know all of us are what with these recent events but I talked to Dean and he didn't sound good. I think he's in trouble." Sean explained.

"What do you mean?" Mike asked walking over and closing his classroom door before taking a seat at his desk.

"Yesterday when he and I were walking in the front of the shop, I saw Sam's explorer out in the parking lot." Sean answered.

"What was it doing there?" Mike asked surprised.

"Dean's selling it, I asked him why and he said that they could use the money and I don't think he meant so he could buy a big screen TV." He said. "It makes sense that he'd be low on cash."

Mike nodded. "Yeah, Sam's surgeries are by no means cheap and then with Ace's vet bill… that couldn't have helped."

"I know, I've been thinking…" Sean paused.

"About what?" Mike asked though he had a good guess.

"There's gotta be something we can do to help lessen his worries. If we could just take care of a small part of it, it would still be something he wouldn't have to worry about." Sean answered.

"Yeah but he's not going to take too kindly to charity." Mike said knowing his friend and his sense of pride.

"It doesn't have to be charity," He said. "It's just friends helping friends and if he complains about it, we'll just ask him if he'd do it for us."

Mike nodded again, that always worked with Dean because he knew the guy was loyal to a fault. "Is there any way we can find out the amount of Sam's hospital bills?" He asked.

"I don't know, I can check." Sean replied.

"Okay, check, see what you come up with and I'll do the same. I'll call you later." He said hanging up. He sat at his desk for a while trying to figure out how he could help Dean with his expenses without letting him know that it was him. He knew he didn't have a ton of money, a teacher's salary wasn't the best, but Dean was practically his brother and Sam meant a lot to him… he'd do what he could to help them out.

DW/SW

"Hey, you're up," Dean smiled when he saw Sam sitting at the table.

Sam didn't return the smile and kept his focus on his mug. He was still a bit hurt from their fight yesterday and with the revelation that he had someone after him, he was scared.

Dean could read his brother like a book most of the time and knew what the kid was thinking. He could kick himself for putting the wounded puppy look, as he'd deemed it, on his brother's face. "Um Sammy, this is Neil… he's going to be staying here with us for a while." Dean said introducing the cop.

Sam nodded.

Just then, Officer Angela Brown walked into the kitchen too. "And do you remember Angela, she ah… she waited with you when we had to go down to the station that one time…" He drifted off.

Sam nodded again and lifted his head a little. "Yeah, I ah… hi…" He said quietly.

"Hi," She smiled pouring herself a cup as well.

"So, I think there's a couple things we need to discuss." Neil said a couple minutes later and Dean nodded, shooting a glance in Sam's direction.

"I um… I'll be in… in our room." He said getting up from the table. Dean sighed and walked over to him.

"You can stay if you want Sam, I mean… I kind of think you should know about what's going on here." He said gently laying a hand on Sam's shoulder.

"I'll stay then." He said turning to go back to his recently vacated seat.

"You don't have to though, not if you don't want to." Dean said realizing what his brother was doing.

Sam nodded. "Is it um… is it okay if… if I go take a shower?" He asked reminding Dean of when they'd first met, asking permission before he did anything afraid he'd do something and make Dean angry.

"Sure kiddo, you and I'll talk later alright?" Dean said smiling trying to reassure his brother.

Sam gave Dean a small smile and then headed down the hall.

"So…?" Dean asked looking expectantly at the two officers after he'd seen Sam disappear into the bathroom.

"I talked to the captain earlier this morning, they've narrowed down the list of possible suspects so it looks like we're heading in the right direction." Neil started.

Dean nodded when a thought occurred to him. "Ah, during our time here, are we supposed to stay basically under lockdown the entire time?" He asked.

"That would be ideal, safer." Angela answered. "Why?"

"Just wondering," Dean replied. "Is um… is there anything else I should know about?" He asked.

"Not for right now but don't worry, we'll keep you updated." Angela replied.

"And safe." Neil added.

Dean nodded. He didn't care if they kept him safe, the only thing that mattered was that no one ever got near his brother again. He sighed and got up from his seat walking down the hall. Seeing that Sam was still in the shower, he took his phone out and walked to the backyard where Ace was lounging in the grass. He smiled softly, glad that the dog was doing okay after the hit and run a little over a week ago and dialed the hospital's number.

"Lawrence Children's Hospital, this is Emma, how can I help you?" The woman asked.

"Hi, this is Dean Winchester calling, I was wondering if I could speak with Dr. Harris. Is he available?" Dean asked.

"One moment sir, just let me go check." Emma said before Dean was put on hold. A couple minutes later, Dr. Harris came on the line.

"Dean?" He asked.

"Hi Dr. Ross, I've got a couple questions and was wondering if you had a few minutes to talk?" Dean replied.

"What's on your mind?" He asked.

"I was wondering if we could post-pone Sam's surgery." He explained.

"We could, if it's what you guys want although the next available date isn't for a while." Dr. Harris answered.

Dean nodded debating about what to do. "Oh, um… when is it?" He asked.

"February 17th, is Sam having second thoughts?" Dr. Harris asked.

"Ah no, I'm … I'll… I'll call you back." Dean replied even more confused now.

"No problem Dean just let me know what you guys decide to do alright." Dr. Harris replied.

"I will, I'll call back soon. Bye." Dean said before hanging up.

_Shit_ Dean thought as he contemplated his options. He knew he should speak to Sam about it before he made a final decision but he didn't want Sam to get the surgery, not now anyways. There was too much going on and he knew that Sam would be even more incapacitated this time around, he wouldn't be able to walk without help or being in pain… neither one of those were good situations if things turned ugly, not that he liked the idea of his brother being in pain anyways. He was about to head inside when his phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, he wasn't sure if he should answer it or not though in the end, he knew he couldn't avoid her forever. "Hey," He answered taking a seat in one of the deck chairs that wasn't wet from the recent storm.

"Hey, I know you're probably really busy right now but I don't know… I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner tomorrow night." She asked.

He sighed tiredly. How many more times could he turn down a date without running her off? "Now's um… now's not a good time." He replied.

"Oh," Dean thought she sounded upset. "Well um, just call me when you are free then okay."

"It might not be for a little while." He answered.

"Are you okay, I mean… you sound upset?" Rachel commented.

"Sam and I had a fight last night and I said some things that were really stupid and hurtful." Dean explained unsure of why he'd said that much to her. He hadn't mentioned his problems to his best friend though he thought between Mike and Sean, they'd probably figured it out but why he was saying this to a girl he went out once with, he didn't know.

"I'm sure the fight was mutual, it happens to all of us." She replied.

"No, all he wanted was to know the answer to a question and… and I just blew up at him." Dean explained, he wasn't going to let anyone let him off the hook for this. He didn't deserve it.

"I'm sure he forgives you, from what I've heard, he worships you." Rachel said trying to be comforting only to make Dean feel worse. He knew it was true, Sam idolized him, he knew he was his little brother's everything and last night… he'd treated the kid like shit.

"No, I know he forgives me but I don't know if I forgive myself… the stuff I said, it was pretty harsh. I made him cry, I never want to do that to him… he's… he's my world and I made him cry… god, what the hell kind of brother am I?" He asked, hating himself all over again.

"Don't beat yourself up too bad, my older brother made me cry a couple times growing up but he was still my idol. Siblings fight, it happens…" She drifted off.

"Yeah, I know… I still feel like a jerk. Anyways, I should go but um… thanks for calling and the invite, I know I've said no a bunch but maybe when things calm down and I'm less stressed out, I'd like to take a rain check?" Dean said feeling stupid for the way his stomach was in knots, blowing it off as stress. After all, he had a lot to be stressed about.

"Sure, sounds like fun and Dean…?" She asked.

"Yeah." He answered.

"If you ever need to talk, I'm here ya know, if you want me to be." She offered.

"Thanks Rachel, I appreciate that… I really do." He smiled a little.

"Okay, I'll let you go, bye Dean." Rachel said hanging up.

Dean pocketed his phone and entered the kitchen taking out a frying pan. He had the feeling his brother hadn't eaten yet. He knew there were still things he had to figure out but for some reason he felt the slightest bit lighter.

DW/SW

Sam followed the smell of pancakes, his stomach grumbling reminding him that he hadn't eaten since lunch the day before. It was odd for him to hear his stomach grumble. It never used to, he had gotten used to being hungry and going days without food a long time ago but now that he always had access to a fully stocked kitchen, he'd gotten used to being able to eat what and when he wanted.

"I made your favorite." Dean said startling Sam a bit. He hadn't expected to see much of his brother this morning.

"Oh um, yeah I… I see. Thanks," Sam said walking over to the counter and grabbing a plate.

"No problem, eat up and then you and I'll talk some more alright." Dean said remembering that he had to ask Sam's opinion on withholding the surgery.

Sam looked up at Dean with a cautiously curious look on his face.

"Don't worry, I'll explain after we're done okay, I promise." He reassured.

Sam nodded and continued eating his breakfast, his stomach finally settling down. After he'd finished the last of his pancakes, he put the dirty plate in the sink and then turned around to face Dean. "What did you want to talk about?" He asked.

Dean glanced at the two officers who were sitting on the couch looking relaxed but Dean knew, or at least hoped, that they were ready to spring into action if need be. "Let's go talk in our room okay." He said before walking down the hall, Sam following him.

"Do you remember what's supposed to happen in a couple days?" Dean asked after closing the door.

Sam thought about it for a moment before his eyes got big and he nodded. He'd completely forgotten about his own surgery and truth be told, he was terrified, even more so than the last time around. Even if no one touched him in a 'wrong' way during the surgery, they would still be touching him _there _and he wasn't sure he was okay with that but he knew he needed the surgery, he couldn't go around with his scars forever.

Dean saw his brother's wheels turning and walked over to the bed to sit beside Sam. "Wanna tell me what you're thinking?" He asked gently shoving Sam's shoulder.

"I ah… can we still do it?" Sam asked, sounding hopeful but looking like he needed some reassurance.

Dean nodded. "We can, if it's what you want but I was thinking maybe we should we hold off on it, until things settle down a bit." He suggested.

Sam was quiet and Dean wasn't sure how to take that.

"So, what do you think?" He asked.

"I don't know Dean… I mean, if we wait… who's to say that there won't be some other thing down the road." Sam answered turning to look at his big brother. "You're the one whose always telling me to not let my… my rapists," He said shuddering at the word. "To not let them control my life."

Dean nodded again. He was in agreement with Sam, his brother shouldn't do or not do things just because of fear of the bastards but still… this was different, at least in his eyes. "I just don't think now's a good time." He said, a little bit of a pleading tone in his voice.

"Why?" Sam asked.

"I just… you're gonna be out of it ya know that right?" Dean asked. He wanted Sam to realize how serious this was but he didn't want to scare the kid either.

"I know, I remember Dean please… I want, no, I need to do this. Please?" He begged.

"You don't need to." Dean clarified. "You're fine the way you are."

"Somehow, I don't think too many girls find a guy with scars all over him too attractive." Sam argued back.

He smirked. Sam was completely clueless when it came to the world of girls. "Kate likes you and she knows you have scars… what about her?" He asked.

Sam blushed at the name of his crush earning a smile from Dean. "We're just friends. She's nice but trust me Dean, I don't think she likes me like that." _God, I wish she did_ he thought.

Dean rolled his eyes. His brother was unfortunately experienced and yet incredibly naïve. "You keep thinking that but so you really want to go ahead and do this, even now?" Dean asked getting back on topic.

Sam nodded. "Besides, I'll have you to protect me right?" Sam asked and to Dean, it sounded like he was testing the boundaries.

"Always." Dean reassured with a serious look on his face.

Sam smiled a little. "Please Dean…" He said turning the puppy dog eyes on.

Dean melted at that look. "Okay, okay, just so you know I'm not one hundred percent comfortable with this but since you want it, we'll do it." He said wiping his hands on his jeans and hopping off the bed.

"Thanks," Sam smiled a bit as Dean began to close the door.

"No problem Sam." Dean answered, shutting the door all the way behind him. He walked out and found the two officers still in the living room. "Can we talk?" He asked taking a seat on the wingback chair in the corner.

"What is it?" Neil asked he wasn't sure what to make of the look on Dean's face.

"I know you guys said it would be better if we stayed here," He said motioning around to the house. "But there's been a slight change of plans."

"What do you mean?" Angela asked.

"Sam is scheduled to have surgery at the children's hospital in a few days and I know it's probably not the smartest move considering afterwards he'll be incapacitated to say the least but he wants to do this and we've been planning it for a while." He explained.

"I take it this isn't some life or death surgery." Neil responded.

Dean shook his head. "Depends on how you look at it. I don't think he needs it but he wants to do, he needs to do it so we're going to. I would reschedule it but I already called his doctor and unfortunately the next available date isn't until late February so…"

"When is it exactly and what's it for?" Neil asked.

"It's on Thursday and it's just to help him overcome some things." Dean answered not giving the police officer all the details even though he was grateful to have the guy around right now. Dean personally viewed the scars on his brother's body almost as marks of bravery. His kid brother had been through so much and Dean honestly thought that lesser people would have crumbled at what Sam had been made to endure, the scars were a testament to the fact that his brother was still kicking, that the bastards hadn't destroyed him, he just wished Sam would realize that.

"I don't think I can make you change your mind on this, can I?" Neil asked and Angela nodded. Neither thought this was a good idea.

"No, you can't." Dean replied.

"Okay then, Thursday, the four of us are going. What time do we have to be at the hospital?" Angela asked.

"Ten." Dean answered before getting up off the couch to call Dr. Harris and finalize the surgery. He'd worry about the payment later.

DW/SW

"Why the hell are we just sitting around here?" Jack asked as he and Elias sat in his apartment. "We know they're no longer at home and if I know Dean, he's probably gone to the cops."

"That's why we can't make a move yet you idiot!" Elias yelled. "We just trashed the shop right, that raised suspicion, if we were to make a move now, we'd more than likely get caught." Elias desperately wanted the boy back but he'd wait until the time was right, he wasn't going to end up like Frank.

Jack sighed, unsure of why he'd paired up with this guy to begin with. He wanted to get revenge on Dean but all this guy wanted to do was sit around and talk about Sam but every time he asked him why he wanted to see the kid so badly, Elias would just answer with a 'we had some good times' and Jack was quickly growing old of this partnership.

* * *

Hey! So how was that? Like I said, it's sort of a set up chap but I still you hope you liked it. Thanks for taking the time to read and I hope to hear from you. I'll try to update soon and I should be updating Lucky Number Seven in the next day or two. :)


	14. Chapter 14

Hi guys, here's the next chapter. I hope you like it and THANKS again for all of the reviews you keep sending, I read each one and they are each deeply appreciated. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this and please let me know what you thought! :)

* * *

Jack entered the apartment he now he lived in with Elias after having run out to get some food. He had just shut the door when he heard Elias talking to someone; he figured he was on the phone because he didn't hear any other voices. Not really giving a rat's ass what the guy was up to, Jack proceeded into the kitchen and took out his burger when he caught part of the conversation.

"… I'll have him in a week and I promise you, he is just like we remember… yeah, yeah, you get him after I make him my bitch… if he thought he had it rough with Frank, he's going to get the shit worked out of him for me, I'm getting my money's worth of that little slut, train him to be on his hands and knees pleasing me all hours, who knows maybe I'll get him a collar and leash, keep him close, wouldn't want him to get away this time…"

_What the hell?_ Jack asked himself but after a moment shrugged it off as the man having some weird kink, he seemed like the type and as long as Jack didn't see it, he couldn't care less.

DW/SW

Knowing how much pain Sam was in, Angela gently drove the unidentified police cruiser into the driveway of the safe house. She cast a glance into the backseat and saw Sam resting with his head back against Dean's shoulder and his eyes closed, breathing heavily. After turning the car off, she hurried to get the wheelchair out of the trunk while Dean attempted to rouse his brother.

"Hey Sammy," Dean cooed using his free hand to cup his brother's cheek. He had held Sam's hand almost the entire time since he'd come out of surgery, a constant reminder that he wasn't alone.

"Ungh…" Sam grunted unintelligibly, the pain meds and the actual pain making him groggy and almost dead to the world.

"We're home kiddo, come on, let's get you inside okay." Dean said shifting from behind Sam and opening his brother's car door. He stood and looked at Angela for a moment as they thought about how to get Sam out of the car without causing him too much additional pain.

"Hold on, let me go get Neil, he can help." Angela said before disappearing into the house.

Dean nodded and continued to brush a soothing hand through Sam's hair. A few minutes later, Neil and Angela reappeared at Dean's side. "Here, let's get it as close to the seat as we can, that way hopefully we won't have to move him too much." Neil said placing the chair right next to the edge of the car seat.

Dean leaned forward and gently tapped his brother's cheek in an effort to make him slightly more aware. "We gotta move you a little okay Sammy but I promise we'll go as slow and gentle as you need okay?" He smiled a bit.

Sam nodded tiredly so Dean placed his hands under Sam's arms. "I'm gonna lift you okay, just lean on me, let me do all the hard work alright." He instructed.

Sam nodded again but hissed in pain as soon as he was standing up. His legs were killing him even when he didn't have any weight on them, now that he did, he felt like he wanted to die.

"Hold on Sammy, we're almost done kid," Dean reassured speaking softly and wanting to get his brother off his feet as soon as possible, he could see the pain clearly written across Sam's face and it was killing him to have to make Sam endure it unnecessarily .

A minute or so later, Sam sighed in relief when Dean lowered him into the chair and the four of them headed towards the house. "Down Ace," Dean commanded when the dog was all too happy to greet his owner.

"I'll put him out back." Angela said leading the mutt into the backyard.

Dean didn't pay her much attention as he climbed the stairs first and took the front of Sam's wheelchair while Neil lifted it over the steps. He took over pushing Sam's chair once they were inside and headed down the hall to their bedroom. Once Sam was comfortable and sleeping, Dean made his way back out to the kitchen grateful to see that a late lunch had been made. "Thanks," He said taking his plate with a ham sandwich and chips on it before sitting at the table. "So did you guys find the bastard yet?" He asked remembering that Neil had said that they thought they'd found a suspect.

Neil shook his head. "Unfortunately, it turned out to be a bust."

Dean growled. "Are you guys actually trying or are you just sitting on your asses waiting for him to strike again?"

Neil swallowed and was quiet for a minute having taken offense to Dean's comment. "We are trying but unfortunately these things take time… you should consider yourself and Sam lucky that Frank was caught as quickly as he was. Public announcements can be very helpful but at the same time, they open the door to everybody and anything and unfortunately we have to sort through all of them."

Dean growled and shook his head before getting up from the table not wanting to get into an argument with the guy that was supposed to be protecting him and his little brother.

DW/SW

Rachel was loading her groceries into her car when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and stared suspiciously at the guy behind her. "Can I help you?" She asked.

"I'm Jack," The man said sticking his hand out.

"Rachel," She said slowly shaking his hand thinking he looked a little familiar.

"You know Dean Winchester, right?" Jack asked.

"What's this about?" Rachel asked feeling very concerned about the mysterious man standing in front of her when it hit her where she'd seen him before. "You're the guy from the coffee shop, aren't you? You guys don't like each other much, what could you possibly have to say to Dean that he would want to hear?"

Jack nodded. "It's about his brother… I need to warn him but I know he won't listen to me." Jack replied.

DW/SW

Dean glanced at the clock from where he sat on the couch and realized it was time to change Sam's dressings and give him another dose of his meds. He sighed knowing it would be a lot more personal than the last time around and he didn't know how he was going to make Sam comfortable other than the fact that this had to be done and that his little brother trusted him or he at least hoped he did. "Hey Sammy," Dean said softly as he brushed Sam's bangs back trying to wake his little brother.

"Yeah?" Sam asked, a little more coherent this time around and grimacing as the pain meds began to wear off.

"I need to change your bandages kiddo," He said waiting for Sam's reaction. "And by the look on your face, give you another dose."

Sam nodded and put his head back keeping his eyes trained on the wall.

"You okay?" Dean asked, unsure of what to make of his brother's subdued behavior. He had prepared himself for at least a few tears.

Sam shrugged. He was feeling a little off and his stomach felt funny but he guessed it was down to nerves and he was still getting the side effects of the surgery out of his system.

Dean smiled reassuringly. "I'll be gentle, promise okay. And you know I'm not going to hurt you, right little brother?"

Sam nodded. He trusted Dean, he did but he was just scared at the thought of someone seeing him like that, even if it was his trust-worthy older brother. He knew Dean had already seen him half naked when he'd had his first surgery but this… this was more intimate though and he didn't know if he was ready for it even though he knew this was strictly his big brother taking care of him and nothing more and the fact that a whole team of doctors had seen him like this earlier that day.

"We'll go slow okay, and it's just you and me here." Dean said trying to help his little brother relax when he got an idea remembering the first couple nights after Sam's first surgery. "Hold on," He quickly jogged down the hall returning a minute later carrying a small boom box with him.

"What's that for?" Sam asked.

"Just so it's not so quiet in here." Dean answered before plugging it in and tuning it to Sam's favorite radio station. He hoped it would distract his brother long enough for him to do what he needed "Kay, you ready?" He asked after he'd double checked to make sure he had the antibiotic ointment and bandages.

Sam shook his head no and Dean noticed how tightly clenched his hands were.

Dean took both Sam's hands in his and gently pried them apart. "Relax Sammy, take a breath, it's all gonna be okay. This will be over before you know it alright but if you need a break, let me know 'kay." Dean reassured knowing that his brother's apprehension about this had to do with more than just physical pain. He hated it that Sam was still so unsure of himself and that he was still sometimes scared around him. A part of him knew that no matter how much Sam recovered, there would always be little things, little quirks of his that were a result from the abuse and the only thing he could do was just try and make Sam as comfortable and confidant as possible so that when he finally did feel ready enough to go out on his own, he would be actually ready.

After Sam's breathing evened out a little, Dean continued. "Lay back and close your eyes Sammy." He kept his tone light, if he was tense, that would only make it worse for Sam.

Sam did as Dean told him trying to keep from panicking as Dean pulled his covers back and placed his hands on his brother's hips and began to pull his sweats down. "It's okay Sammy, shh…" He cooed when he heard Sam's breathing hitch. The feel of fingers that weren't his own on his waistband tugging them downward was all too familiar and unwanted.

Sam nodded and clenched his eyes shut focusing as much as he could on the radio. _It's Dean, it's just Dean_ Sam repeatedly told himself.

"… Hi folks, this is Gary and you're listening to 95.3 KRTY. That was Craig Morgan's Redneck Yacht Club and now for some Little Big Town with their newest hit, Bring It On Home…"

_You've got someone here_

_Who wants to make it all right_

_Someone that loves you more than life right here_

_You've got willing arms that'll hold you tight_

_A hand to lead you all through the night right here_

_I know your heart can get all tangled up inside_

_But don't ya keep it to yourself_

Dean gently slid the sweats off his brother's feet so that Sam was left in his boxers being careful to not jostle Sam too much. He knew soon enough he'd have to remove Sam's boxers as well since that was where the majority of the scars were but he decided to give his brother some time to adjust and started at his knees, unwinding the bandages and applying new ointment to the reddened skin. "It's okay Sammy, it's okay," He promised as he began to move his hand up Sam's leg. Sam had seemed to be handling it okay until Dean got to his thigh and reached for his boxers.

"Stop… stop, please…" He pleaded. "Please…"

"Sammy," Dean sighed when he looked up and saw the tears rolling down Sam's face. He wiped his hands off on a towel and moved up so that he was near Sam's head. "Sammy, look at me."

Sam slowly turned his face to look up at his big brother. "I change my mind Dean, I don't want to do this anymore… please stop. I… I thought I could handle it but I can't…" He cried.

"Shh, Sammy, shh…" He cooed wiping Sam's tears away. "I know you want me to stop and I know it hurts but I can't stop kiddo." Dean knew his brother was suffering from more than just the pins and needles feeling dancing on his skin.

"Please?" Sam begged clinging tightly to Dean's hand.

Dean shook his head. He had to get the areas medicated and covered, if he didn't, then an infection could set in and he knew that would be disastrous. "I can't Sammy, I'm sorry but you heard the doc, if we don't do this… you could get sick, really sick. I'm sorry little brother."

Sam put a hand over his eyes but nodded for Dean to continue anyway. No use fighting the unavoidable.

"This'll be over soon, I promise." He said meaning more than just the treatment. He knew even if his brother was not a huge fan of school, he missed his friends and their house as well. Dean put some more ointment on his hands and began to gently cover the front and back of Sam's thigh in the antibiotic before rewrapping it. "There, almost done Sammy, almost done."

_When your long day is over and you can barely drag your feet_

_The weight of the world is on your shoulders_

_I know what you need_

_Bring it on home to me_

_You know I know you like the back of my hand_

_And you know I'm gonna do all that I can right here_

_Gonna lie with you till you fall asleep_

_And when the morning comes I'm still gonna be right here_

_Yes, I am_

_So take your worries and just drop them at the door_

_Baby, leave it all behind…_

Dean let out a relieved sigh as he finished rewrapping Sam's left leg and put the used bandages in a trash bag to throw away later. It had been as hard on Sam as it was on him.

Sam knew Dean was done but he also knew that a few hours from now, they would have to go through it again. It wasn't that Dean hadn't been gentle, that was the gentlest anyone had ever been with him but he hated his bare skin being touched like that. _God… why did I sign up for this? It's not like it's going to change anything about me… I don't have the scars anymore but I'm still just as scared as I've ever been._ It was true, he could now go out in public and be around people without feeling too overwhelmed but the thought of someone touching him, being intimate with someone, was something he didn't think he'd ever be able to handle, part of the reason why he'd never talked to Kate as more than just a friend. Even if she did like him which he thought was highly unlikely, he knew he could never be with her.

"Sammy?" Dean asked leaning down close to his brother.

Sam swallowed. "Y… yeah Dean?" He asked trying to appear normal.

"You okay?" Dean asked concerned. He knew it would be bad but this was worse than he thought.

Sam nodded then shook his head no.

"I'm sorry Sammy, I know it hurts and… and I'm sorry this is all so tough on you. I know you miss home and your friends and I promise I'll get you home as soon as possible and it can just be you, me and Ace again… does that sound good?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, it does." He answered. "I… thanks for doing this for me." He said casting a glance at the blanket that hid his legs.

"Nothing to thank me for, now close your eyes and get some rest. I'll wake you in a couple of hours." Dean said before making sure Sam took his dose. Dean sat back against the headboard, his hand resting on the top of his brother's head softly combing through the brown locks. After he was sure Sam was asleep, he bent down and kissed Sam's forehead. "I'm so proud of you my baby brother… I hope you know how much I love you." He smiled a little when Sam mumbled something unintelligent.

DW/SW

"This is Mike," He said after putting Ranger and Bella's food bowls down on the kitchen floor and grabbing his cell out of his pocket.

"Um Mike, it's Rachel, I need to talk to you." She sounded very serious and worried and it instantly put Mike on edge.

"What about?" He asked taking a seat on one of the barstools in his kitchen.

"Dean and Sam." She answered.

"What about them? I'm sorry things haven't worked out between you and Dean as well as I thought it was going to but he's just been really swamped lately…" Rachel cut him off.

"That's not what I'm calling about." She had been a little upset that Dean had repeatedly turned down her advances but she understood that he had family obligations and she admired that he wasn't neglecting his brother especially after her talk with the stranger.

"Then what's going on?" Mike asked concerned.

"I ran into a guy earlier today, he said he wanted to warn Dean but that he knew Dean would never listen to him…

"Did he give you his name?" His concern had changed into worry and with the most recent attempt to make it tough on Sam and Dean, he knew this wouldn't, couldn't be good.

"Yeah, he said his name was Jack Martin." She heard Mike curse. "Do you know him?" She asked.

"Unfortunately yes, Rachel I need you to tell me everything he said to you." Mike was now the one with a serious tone of voice. "I'll make sure Dean gets the message." He said before hanging up.

DW/SW

Dean had just entered his shared bedroom ready to go to bed when his cell went off. He was about to answer it when a rather unpleasant smell hit him. "Sammy," He said ignoring his phone and making his way to Sam's bed to find his brother covered in barf. "Aw kid…"

Sam sniffed a couple of times. "Sorry." He said quietly and embarrassedly.

Dean's face softened. "It's not your fault. Here let's get you cleaned up okay." He said peeling back Sam's soiled covers and rolling them into a ball. He was glad to see that only Sam's pajama shirt had barf on it, having to redo Sam's bandages or make him move his lower half more than necessary wasn't on either one of their to do lists.

Dean unbuttoned Sam's night shirt and realized how badly his brother was shivering. He reached a hand up and felt Sam's forehead, cursing when he felt hot.

"I don't feel good," Sam mumbled leaning heavily against Dean's chest.

"I can tell," Dean replied sympathetically as he gently helped Sam lay down. "I'll be right back okay." He went into the kitchen and searched through the cupboards until he found a pot that would work and then he wet a wash cloth from the bathroom grabbing the thermometer as well. When he returned to Sam's side, he saw his brother had started to drift off and he hated to wake him but he really didn't think it would be good to let his brother fall asleep with bits of his throw-up on him.

"Sammy, wake up," He said as he gently ran the wet cloth over his brother's face and neck. "Come on, Sammy, open up," He coaxed placing the metal tip under Sam's tongue.

Sam whimpered whether from the pain his legs were causing him or his stomach, Dean wasn't sure but quietly shushed him anyways. "I know Sammy, I know, just hold on a little bit longer for me okay." Dean said before the thermometer beeped. He took it out of Sam's mouth and saw that Sam's fever was 99.7. "Okay, let's just get this shirt on you and then you can go back to sleep kiddo," Dean said as he carefully manipulated Sam's limbs into the t-shirt. He wanted to give his brother something for the fever but knew that the chance of it conflicting with the pain meds and antibiotics Sam was on was good and he didn't want to risk it.

After the shirt was on Sam, Dean picked up the soiled covers and walked them to the laundry room getting the machine going. He yawned tiredly and washed his hands at the kitchen sink before heading back down the hall. He placed the pot he'd deemed as the new 'barf bucket' by the side of his brother's bed and then climbed in behind him. "Rest now Sammy, I've got you." He whispered feeling Sam shaking slightly in his arms.

DW/SW

"Damnit Dean! Answer your phone!" Mike growled when a half hour had passed since he'd left the message and Dean had yet to call back. _That fucking bastard, he had better know this doesn't get him off the hook…_ Mike thought as his mind replayed what Rachel had told him. _Hating Dean, playing favorites… that's one thing… teaming up with a freaking pedophile… even I didn't think he'd go that far_. "Dean, it's Mike. You need to call me back now, it's important so wake your ass up and call me!" He yelled into the phone before slamming it shut.

DW/SW

Dean woke up early the next morning when he heard Sam emptying his stomach again. "Aw Sammy, shh, it's okay," He cooed helping his brother sit up and held the bowl under his chin. "Shh, it's okay, just get it all out, you'll feel better… shh."

Several minutes later and after the dry-heaving was done, Dean wiped his brother's mouth and then climbed out of the bed to empty the bowl down the toilet. "I'll go make you some toast okay," He said placing the bowl back beside Sam.

"Dean…" Sam whined. "I just threw up, I don't wanna eat."

"I know but you have to take your meds and you can't take them on an empty stomach." Dean argued.

Sam looked tired, sick, and dejected as he slumped back against the pillows.

"You'll feel better soon, it's just the flu or something." He reassured before heading down the hall to get Sam's breakfast.

Sam nodded even though Dean was no longer standing there and rested back trying to quell his churning stomach. He snuggled under the covers and waited for Dean to come back. He glanced at the bowl on the nightstand beside his bed and while he agreed it had a nasty smell to it; it was also a small reminder of what he had now. No one had ever gotten up in the middle of the night before to change his sheets or help him change his shirt when he got sick or rubbed his back while he threw up, all of that was Dean and he would forever be grateful for the little things his brother did for him.

He was broken out of his thoughts when he heard Dean's cell vibrate on the dresser a few feet from his bed. "Thanks," Sam said looking hesitantly at the toast, unsure if he wanted to test the boundaries.

"You're welcome. You need to eat." Dean replied when Sam didn't touch it.

Begrudgingly Sam nodded and took a small bite of the toast.

Dean smiled and got off the bed to retrieve his phone. He groaned when he saw he had five missed calls and three messages… all from Mike. He flipped his phone open and dialed his friend's number without listening to any of the messages. "What the hell are you doing calling me so much?" He asked annoyed.

"Jack talked to Rachel… about Elias and Frank and Sam." Mike replied cutting the bullshit off immediately.

"He did WHAT?" Dean asked angrily casting a glance at Sam before leaving the room, glad for once his brother was confined to the bed. "How the hell would he know any of the anyway?" Dean asked the school's principle and Mike were the only two members of staff that knew what had happened to his brother.

"That's why I've been trying to call you." Mike answered. "Apparently, the bastard has been staying with Elias, that's how he found your guys' house and was able to get to Ace."

"I'll kill him… so what, he helped the bastard stalk us? I knew Jack was a dick but I didn't realize he was a fucking pedophile, what the hell was he doing with Elias?" Dean asked. If Jack was a pedophile, he had had plenty of opportunities to attack his little brother without getting a partner, the thought made him shake with fear and anger.

"He wanted payback against you, Elias wanted Sam… Jack told Rachel he didn't know about Elias or that he had raped Sam…" Dean cut him off.

"How nice of him to go around telling people that!" He said sarcastically while thinking that payback was one thing, subjecting his brother to his greatest nightmare again was downright cruel. "Why didn't he just go to the cops or something?"

"I don't know maybe Elias is watching him or something but anyways, Jack found some pictures and things of Elias and a kid and then he realized it was Sam…"

"Why tell Rachel?" Dean asked.

"He told Rachel he wanted to warn you but he said he knew you'd never listen to him." Mike explained.

_He's got that right_ Dean thought. "Warn me about what?" He asked concerned. "I know Elias is out there, that's why we're in hiding."

Angela and Neil were listening very intently to Dean's conversation and had every intention of questioning him about it as soon as he got off the phone.

"He said that Elias is coming for Sam and that he's going to make Frank look gentle, I didn't get too many of the details but if Elias gets a hold of him…" He drifted off.

"That bastard is never touching a single hair on my brother's body again." Dean said his voice steely and hard.

"I know," Dean cut him off.

"So far, you're telling me stuff I already know…" Now it was Mike's turn to cut Dean off.

"Dean… Jack gave Rachel the address for where Elias lives." Mike said.

Dean didn't know whether he wanted to kill his former rival or thank him, maybe a mix of both. "Hold on," He said rummaging through drawers for pen and paper. "Okay, what is it?" He asked trying to keep his hand from shaking too much. He couldn't believe that they might actually be close to getting the sick fucker.

"48744 Lincoln Road." Mike replied.

Dean wrote down the address and then Elias in big bold letters underneath and held it up for the officers to see, both of their eyes widening at it. Neil jumped off the couch and called down to the station demanding to speak with his captain that minute while Angela waited for Dean to get off the phone to gather any other important details.

"That was my friend Mike, apparently this guy we know has been working with Elias only he claims he didn't know Elias was a pedophile. When he found out, he says he stopped working with him. He told this girl I've been seeing about Sammy and… and Elias because he knows I'd never listen to him." Dean explained upon seeing the questioning look on the officers' face.

Angela nodded. "And she called your friend who just called you?"

Dean nodded. "He said to be prepared… and that what Elias has planned for Sam makes Frank look like children's play." He wasn't sure how much worse it could get; his brother had been tortured by Frank and then sold to other bastards to torture.

Neil walked back into the room and put his walkie-talkie back on his belt. "They're waiting for a search warrant and then Ryan and Scott will head down there with a team. We'll get him."

Dean nodded again and then walked down the hall to find that Sam was asleep and hadn't eaten any more of his toast. "We're almost home Sammy, almost home."

* * *

So how was that? Please let me know if you liked it or if there were things that could have been better. Thanks again. I'll try to update soon.

Oh and the song lyrics are from Bring It On Home by Little Big Town. :)


	15. Chapter 15

Hi guys! I'm back! Okay, I can not apologize enough for how freaking long it's taken me to write this chapter! I had a massive writer's block, thankfully UThinkUrFunnyIThinkImAdorable helped me out a lot and cleared some things up so thank you soooo much Drake! And thanks to everyone else who sent me encouragement. Unfortunately just as I got my ideas sorted real life decided it didn't want me to have any time to write. Luckily, next week is finals and then I'm out of school for like two months so I promise I will be updating quite frequently during that time period.

Oh, and just a little note so you guys aren't confused I jumped ahead in this chapter. A month has passed since the last time we saw the boys. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you thought of it. Thank you for sticking with me! :)

* * *

"You okay?" Dean asked sparing a glance at Sam sitting silently in the passenger seat.

Sam nodded and continued watching out the window.

Dean sighed and reached over with one hand to gently pat his brother's arm. He had gone against the police force's wishes and approval and decided that he and Sam couldn't stay at the safe house any longer. The longer they were there, the more Dean noticed changes in his brother's behavior and they weren't changes he had liked or wanted to see. Sam had stopped taking calls from his friends, woke up later and was just generally a lot quieter. Dean had come to the realization that if they stayed there, hidden behind secure walls and guys with guns, Elias still won. The bastard may not have been physically controlling Sam but he was basically deciding what Sam could and couldn't do and that was unacceptable to Dean.

Neil, Angela, Ryan, Scott, and the Captain hadn't been happy to hear of his decision but after watching Sam draw more and more into himself, Dean knew he needed to get Sam out of that environment. He needed to prove to Sam that he could stand on his own two feet against these guys because the reality was that they couldn't wait there forever and like Sam had said, he knew they would never catch all of Sam's abusers.

"What if they don't like me anymore?" Sam asked several minutes later, breaking the silence and startling Dean a bit.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked confused.

"What if everyone's mad at me?" Sam asked and Dean could tell his brother was worried.

"No one's going to be mad at you Sam, you haven't done anything wrong." Dean reassured though he wasn't quite sure how his brother had drawn that conclusion.

"That's not true." Sam argued. "I got him killed. I killed Jack."

The light bulb went off in Dean's head and he gave a gentle tug on Sam's shirt urging his brother to scoot over next to him. Sam did so, resting his head against Dean's chest. "That wasn't your fault Sam and anyone who says it is doesn't know shit, okay?" He said lightly rubbing Sam's arm. When the police had gone to raid Elias' residence, they hadn't found the man they were looking for but instead his naïve accomplice lying in a puddle of his own blood on the floor of one of the back bedrooms.

Sam was quiet. He knew it wasn't really his fault that his former teacher had been murdered but he also knew that there were probably still some kids at school looking for any reason to blame him for anything. And besides, if he had never run away then maybe Elias and Jack never would have teamed up or met and Jack would still have his job and life.

"Do you ever wish that…?" Sam shook his head, unsure he wanted to know the answer to his question. "Never mind"

Dean could tell there was something heavy playing on his brother's mind and gently rested his head on the top of Sam's. "Do I ever wish what?" He pushed.

Sam shook his head again. "It's nothing." He said stubbornly.

"You sure?" Dean asked unconvinced.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, it's not a big deal." He said before scooting back over to his side of the car.

About ten minutes later they pulled up outside their house and both breathed a sigh of relief at the sight, glad to finally be home after a month of shielded living.

Dean had to hide his shock when he saw the Explorer he had put up for sale sitting in the driveway. _You sneaky bastards_ he thought. "Come on, let's go inside."

Sam nodded, a small smile gracing his own face and he hurried out of the car with Ace following behind him.

"Home, sweet home," Dean muttered as he unlocked the door.

~DW/SW~

"How'd you guys do it?" Dean asked as he and Sean worked side by side on a crashed car. Dean's arms were covered in grease and he hadn't felt this good in a long, long time. There was just something about working on a car and making it run smoothly again that made him feel relaxed and allowed him to think without being overwhelmed. Plus, it was his connection to his dad.

"How'd we do what?" Sean asked, playing innocent.

"You know what." Dean replied.

Sean shrugged.

"Sean, c'mon… I put it up because we need the money…" He was cut off when Sean stopped his work and walked over to the office. He came back with an envelope and handed it to Dean.

"What's this?" Dean asked wiping his hands off on a grease rag and taking the envelope from his friend.

Sean smiled. "Mike and I knew you were stressed and well, we wanted to help. There are some things you don't need to be worrying about right now."

"I can't take this." Dean said shocked and trying to hand the check back.

"You can and you will." A third voice said from the doorway to the garage entrance.

Dean turned around and saw Mike standing there.

"Don't think of it as charity or pity, think of it as family helping each other out." Mike said closing Dean's hand over the envelope.

Dean looked at his friends. "No offense but neither of you guys make very good money… I mean, how could you afford it?"

Mike and Sean both shook their heads. Sean came from money though you wouldn't guess it unless you had grown up with him or met his family and that was just the way he liked it.

"I… I don't know what to say." Dean was speechless as he looked at the check that was worth a little over two grand. The fact that it would cover the cost of one of Sam's surgeries or a good amount of bills and groceries didn't go by Dean unnoticed.

"You could say thank you." Mike smiled cheekily. "Or you could fix my car for free for the next year."

Dean laughed and lightly punched his friend on the arm. "Thank you doesn't even begin to cover it." He said sincerely, thankful that he had friends like the two standing in front of him.

~DW/SW~

Sam had been greeted by his own friends, much to his relief, and they were now enjoying lunch while the rest of the group filled Sam in on what he'd missed while he'd been away. He felt a bit calmer that none of them were pressing him for answers about where he'd been though he was sure they had a general idea of what had happened. After all, the search had been all over the news and then when Jack had been murdered, the coverage escalated. He didn't think it was too hard to connect the dots.

"Um Sam, can I talk to you for a sec?" Kate asked with a shy smile on her face.

He nodded. "Sure." He said with an equally shy smile on his face.

Kate got up from the table and walked a few feet away, Sam following behind her. "I was wondering if… well, you see Sadie's is coming up," Sam interrupted her.

"What's Sadie's?" He asked never having been in a school long enough to learn the different social events.

"It's a dance and um, and the girls are supposed to ask the guys to it." Sam nodded his understanding but unsure why she was talking to him about it. "And since the rest of the group has dates and is going… I guess what I'm trying to say is, would you go with me?" She asked with a hopeful look in her eyes.

Sam looked shocked. He couldn't have heard her right. "You want to go to a dance… with me?"

Kate nodded. "So what do you say?"

_There's no way she'd really wanna go with me… is there? I mean, I'm… I'm awkward and… and crap… if I say yes do I look desperate?_ Sam didn't know what to do. "Can I think about it?" He asked.

Kate looked a little crestfallen but nodded anyways. "Yeah, just let me know soon okay." She smiled.

_You're an idiot! She looks upset and you just ruined your chances… oh well, it's not like you ever actually had a shot at it_ Sam berated himself as he walked back to the table with her.

~DW/SW~

"Everything okay?" Dean asked when Sam climbed into the car. He thought his brother looked a little upset.

"I'm an idiot." Sam muttered.

"I doubt that." Dean reassured before asking, "What did you do?"

"I told Kate I wanted to think about it. The girl I like asks me to a dance and I freaking ask her if I can think about it? Of course I'm not so sure why she asked me anyways, probably just a freaking pity date!" Dean could see through his brother's anger and spotted the frustration lying underneath.

"So call her up and tell her it's a yes." He suggested.

"Yeah but now she thinks I don't like her and god, I'm so pathetic when it comes to women!" Sam yelled obviously frustrated.

"Sammy, calm down okay." Dean said with a chuckle. "Every guy is pathetic when it comes to women. It's a loosing game."

"It's not funny." Sam grumbled.

"You're right, sorry I laughed." He smiled. "What you did was not out of the ordinary okay and it's not like you shot her down with a no, right?" He asked.

Sam nodded.

"So there ya go, you can still say yes if you want to and I think you should." Dean replied.

"What if I don't want to go?" Sam asked.

Dean nodded. He had figured his brother would be reluctant about it. "And why would that be?" He asked.

Sam shrugged.

"If you do tell her no, you have to have a reason and not a lame one like 'I'm busy'." Dean said.

"I don't know how to dance… and what if we go and she sees that I'm a loser." Sam said sounding so worried.

Dean looked at Sam as they sat at the stoplight. "How long have you guys been friends?" He asked.

Sam thought a moment. "Ah… since pretty much the beginning of school so like six months, I guess."

"Six months, that's a pretty long time to decide whether or not you want to be someone's friend." He answered. "I'd say you don't have to worry about her thinking you're a loser. She's been around you Sam, all your friends have, and I think it's safe to say that they want to be your friends. I highly doubt Kate's asking you just for the sake of asking."

Sam nodded. "I still don't know how to dance."

Dean tapped the gas pedal as the light turned green. "I can teach you. I'm not saying I'm amazing but I know enough to impress. I think it's time I taught my kid brother a thing or two, don't you?" He asked a smile on his face.

Sam smiled back and Dean thought this was the most he'd seen his brother smile since they'd gone into the safe house. _Damn, it's good to be back._

~DW/SW~

Sam grabbed the sheet of paper from his desk in his room that had Kate's home phone number written on it and took a deep breath. He couldn't believe it; he was going on a date! Something he thought he'd never do. When he was in foster care and going through the different homes, at school he'd always been deemed the freak, the poor kid, no one ever really paid much attention to him. Then when he had met Frank, well, he instantly knew that if any girl ever did find out about the things he'd done, they'd run away faster than he could blink, not that he wanted to be with anyone that way ever again. He was contaminated, dirty or at least that's what he'd always believed. Dean though had changed that, had helped Sam see that what he'd done, it wasn't his fault even if his body did react to it. That didn't mean he wanted it and Sam knew for sure that he hated Frank and Elias and everything they'd done to him. He was still uncomfortable in any situation that might lead to something even remotely similar and had to admit to himself, that he was a bit scared of how this could turn out.

The fact that Kate knew he had scars and some past he wasn't willing to talk about and yet, she was willing to be his friend and possibly, as his brother believed, something more astonished him. With a hopeful heart, he walked out to the kitchen and grabbed the phone off the counter.

"Who ya calling?" Dean asked with a knowing smile.

Sam blushed but smiled back.

Dean nodded and busied himself with the TV to give his brother some privacy.

"Hi, ah, this is Sam. Is Kate there?" He asked feeling nervous, hoping she hadn't changed her mind since lunch.

"Hey Sam, it's me." Kate answered.

"So I, ah, um… the reason, well the reason I'm calling is to say well um…" He drifted off when he felt a squeeze on his shoulder. He looked up to see Dean smiling encouragingly. "I wanted to say that I'd really like to go to the dance with you."

"Really?" Kate asked her tone happy.

"Yeah… you haven't changed your mind have you?" Sam asked scared.

Kate instantly corrected that. "No, no, not at all. I'm glad you said yes, I think we'll have a lot of fun. So um, I know it's still a couple weeks away but do you wanna meet me there or…?"

Sam stumbled. _Just how exactly was he supposed to go about this? Were they supposed to meet up beforehand or was it okay to meet at the school?_ Sam wasn't sure. _I'll have to ask Dean. Am I that pathetic that I can't figure this out on my own?_

"Sam?" Kate asked after Sam had been quiet for an extended period of time. "You still there?"

Sam hurried to answer. "Yeah, yeah, I'm still here. Um, I'm not sure so you decide."

"You sure?" She asked.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, you've probably been… well um, I guess I'll see you tomorrow and we can talk more then." He wanted to hit his head against the wall due to his poor conversation skills.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Bye Sam, see ya later." Kate smiled and hung up the phone.

Sam hung the phone up and turned around to face Dean, a panicked look on his face.

"So you guys going together?" Dean asked feeling mighty proud as any big brother would. His kid brother was going on his first date!

"I ah, yeah… I need your help." Sam sputtered out.

"With what?" He asked.

"Like I said, I can't dance… hell, I'm not even sure I want to. I mean, I know it's a dance and that I should but if I get up there and attempt to, I'll probably fail miserably…" Dean cut Sam's rambling off by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Breathe, that's something we can work on, okay. I know how and I can teach you, show you some simple moves. And besides Sam, just because they call it a dance doesn't mean you have to dance. Don't do anything you're not comfortable with." He reassured.

"Yeah but I'll look like a loser if I don't dance and what if she wants to?" He asked. "And besides how pathetic is it that I'm going on a date and I can't pick her up for it? Seriously, I suck."

Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You don't suck." He corrected. "And both of those things are stuff we can work on. Your truck's out in the driveway so we can practice and you'll have your license in no time."

Sam's face blanched at Dean's mention of driving. "What! No, I… I can't drive… I'll crash and kill us!" He replied.

"You won't crash and you won't kill us. And if you're not a terrific driver at first, that's okay. No one's perfect the first time out and I'll be right beside you, I won't let anything happen." He smiled. "C'mon, we'll start out small, just down to the diner to grab some grub 'kay?"

Sam bit his lip. "Maybe later?" He asked.

"Definitely later." Dean smiled.

~DW/SW~

"Can we practice some more now please?" Sam asked. The dance was a little over a week away and Sam still was not a good dancer by any means. He wasn't horrible but he wasn't good either.

Dean laughed and nodded, the kid had perseverance that was for sure. He got up and walked over to the cabinet that housed the radio system and turned it on.

Sam climbed off the couch and walked over to Dean. When Dean turned around, Sam took the stance that Dean had showed him a when they'd first started, one hand on Dean's shoulder and the other holding Dean's.

Dean laughed and shook his head. This was an… interesting… position to be in with his younger brother.

The music started up and they began the steps.

"Sorry," Sam blushed when he stepped on Dean's foot for the third time.

Dean laughed again, plenty used to having crushed toes by now. "It's okay." He reassured.

"Thanks for teaching me this." Sam said a couple songs later when they'd decided to call it quits for the afternoon at least.

"No problem, my job right." He smirked. "I don't know about you but that little workout made me hungry. You wanna drive down to the diner and get something?" He asked.

Sam nodded. "Are you driving or me?" He asked.

Dean smiled. It seemed like this little invitation to the dance had sparked something in Sam, some desire to learn things that would give him his independence. "You can drive if you want." He smiled proudly.

Sam nodded and grabbed the keys to his truck and headed out to the driveway.

Dean grabbed his jacket and climbed into the passenger seat watching as Sam started the engine, released the parking brake and put it in drive easing out of the driveway.

Dean nodded and sat back in his seat occasionally spouting out instructions or corrections but overall thinking Sam was picking it up quick.

Sam found a parking spot and pulled in having to readjust a couple of times before it was finally okay. "How'd I do?" He asked as he and Dean walked into the diner.

Dean smiled. "You're getting there. Still not gonna let you drive the Impala but you're getting there."

Sam smiled glad that there were some things he wasn't a total failure at.

Dean was about halfway to his and Sam's normal booth when he heard someone calling his and Sam's names. He looked up to see Rachel sitting nearby and smiling. He smiled and walked over to her. "Hey, long time, no see." He said even though they'd talked on the phone a few times during the time he and Sam had been at the safe house. He had found that she was a good listener and someone he could vent to when he needed to blow off steam.

"Hey guys," She smiled. "Hi Sam."

"Hi Rachel." Sam said quietly. He was slowly warming up to her and the fact that she didn't call Dean constantly and when they did see her, she acknowledged him too made Sam feel better.

"So, how are you two doing?" She asked. She had been relieved to hear that not only had they made it home okay but that as of right now, the danger level seemed to be decreasing.

"We're good. Sammy here just drove the truck." Dean said proudly.

Rachel grinned and nodded. "I hated learning how to drive, my parents were always so tense."

"Really?" Sam asked.

She smiled. "Oh yeah, my mom was the worst though. She'd sit there and hold the door handle afraid I was gonna kill her."

Sam laughed and turned to Dean. "Please don't ever do that, I'm nervous enough without having you think I'm gonna kill you."

Dean nodded. "You got nothing to be nervous about, you're doing fine." He said just as the waitress walked up and handed two extra menus to Dean and Sam. "I'll give you guys a few minutes to think about what you want to order."

Dean looked at Rachel and then at Sam. He wasn't sure how Sam would feel about having lunch with her. He was surprised when Sam sat down in the booth. "I guess we're joining you." He said taking a seat beside Sam.

"I don't mind the company." She said retaking her own seat.

~DW/SW~

Sam nudged Dean in the side about a half hour later. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He said.

"Where ya going?" Dean asked. With Elias still on the loose, he liked to know Sam's whereabouts 24/7.

"To the bathroom." Sam answered.

"Okay," Dean said standing up so Sam could get out. He smiled and watched Sam walk away before turning his attention back to Rachel. "I want to thank you."

"For what?" She asked surprised.

"For the way you treat him, like he's just a normal teenager." He explained.

"He is a normal teenager." Rachel replied.

"No, I… I know that but I also know that you know what happened to him and I just wanted to thank you for not bringing it up and not treating him any different for it." He said sincerely.

Rachel nodded.

"He doesn't know that you know so…" Dean drifted off.

"My lips are sealed." She answered and then the conversation was turned in a different direction.

Dean and Rachel had been talking for a while when Dean glanced at his watch and realized Sam had been gone for a good fifteen minutes. He felt a strange pit in his stomach but shook it off as him being paranoid. He'd surveyed the place when they had first walked in and hadn't seen anyone unusual and he'd kept an eye on the door. When another five minutes passed and Sam still hadn't returned, Dean excused himself from the table and went to the bathroom. He tried the door but realized it was locked. _No, no, no, no!_ _Shit Sammy!_ "Sam!" He screamed banging on the door.

Sam heard his brother through the door and glared at Elias as much as he could with his quickly swelling eye. "De…" He was cut off when Elias wrapped a hand around his throat.

"Fuck!" Dean cursed backing up a bit and raising his foot to kick the door down. It took two more solid kicks before the door fell open. What he saw made his heart stop and then beat faster, fueled with immense amounts of fury. Elias was standing with Sam in front of him as a shield and one arm wrapped around the teen's throat slowly suffocating him. His other hand was holding a gun to Sam's head.

Dean set his jaw and glared at the bastard before locking eyes with Sam.

Sam reached a hand up and tried to pry Elias' thick arm off of his neck to avail.

"Let him go!" Dean ordered when he saw Sam quickly loosing air.

"I don't think so, now, out of my way." Elias ordered back.

"You really think I'm just going to let you waltz out of here with him? Over my dead body!" Dean said effectively blocking the only exit.

"I said move." Elias repeated, his anger growing.

Dean matched Elias' deadly expression. "And I said no. Now get your fucking hands off him!"

Sam gasped for air and his chest heaved when Elias finally released the arm around his neck only to whimper when he felt a hand cruelly squeeze him through his jeans.

"I'll kill you!" Dean threatened advancing on Elias only to have the gun pointed at him instead now. "What are you going to do? Shoot me?" He asked with no sign of the fear he was feeling present on his face.

"You underestimate me Dean." Elias smirked as he nodded to something behind Dean and Sam's eyes widened in fear.

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Hey! So how was that? I'm not too sure I like the end so depending on the feedback I get, I'll either keep it or change it a little bit. And yes, I realize I'm horrible to give you guys a cliff hanger after leaving you for a month. I promise I won't take nearly half that long this time, promise!

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for sticking with me and continuing to read the story! It's very much appreciated! :)


	16. Chapter 16

Hey! So just as a warning, this chapter's pretty heavy-duty on the Sammy torture and I've never really written anything to this extent before so I hope it's okay. Let me know if it needs adjusting. A lot of you had guesses as to who it was behind Dean and I think some of you will be surprised.

Thanks for reading and I hope you leave me a note saying whether you liked it or not. Enjoy! :)

* * *

"Dean!" Sam shouted worriedly as he saw his brother take a punch to the jaw from the stranger.

Dean stumbled back but quickly regained his balance launching his own attack but the man effectively blocked Dean's hits and charged him again. Dean side stepped to avoid getting kicked in the chest and managed to grab the man's leg. He twisted it causing him to fall off balance and face plant. Dean took advantage of this and straddled the guy throwing punch after punch at him. Dean was enraged, how dare these bastards come after his brother with the idea that Sam was their property and they had the right to treat him as such. His brother was a human being with rights and Dean would be damned if he let Sam and his rights be disregarded any longer. He growled as his fury and adrenaline continued to burn.

Soon, his knuckles were bloody and the man's nose was obviously broken as blood streamed down his face. Breathing heavily, Dean realized that the man was out cold and it was then that he noticed Sam and Elias were no longer in the room. _Shit! _A moment later he heard gun shots and raced out to the dining area, feeling like his heart was about to beat out of his chest. They were supposed to be having lunch, just a simple lunch… not be caught in the middle of gun fight.

_How could I be so stupid?_ He asked himself. Dean felt like kicking his own ass but figured he'd save that for when he got Sam out of this mess he'd so stupidly gotten him into. _I knew the bastard was still free and I still let Sam out of my sight! Please God let him be okay, just let him be okay… I don't care if he doesn't forgive me or if he hates me, I just need him to be okay._

He snarled at the scene that greeted him.

Elias was standing in the middle of the room with Sam kneeling in front of him. All of the other restaurant patrons had taken cover as soon as Elias had let off the first shot and were now hiding underneath the tables. "You ready to show these kind people just what a Hoare you are boy? Hmm, gonna prove to that brother of yours that all you're good for is being someone's little bitch, now suck it!" He demanded as he thrust his member into Sam's face.

Falling back into old habits, Sam was about to close his mouth around the thick piece of muscle when he caught a glance from his brother and all of their talks and hard work came back to him. "No." Sam said through gritted teeth and pulled his face away from the half-hard dick in front of him.

_That's my boy_ Dean thought. He knew Sam deserved better, deserved to be treated with respect and he was as glad as he could be given the situation to see his brother standing up for himself.

"What the hell did you just say boy?" Elias asked angrily and surprised. He had expected Sam to be submissive and extremely compliant just like he'd always been… obviously things had changed and he didn't like the new Sam. Oh well, he was sure after a few 'practice rounds' Sam would know his place again.

Sam glared at Elias and spat at the man's naked genitals.

"You little… I'm gonna fucking kill you, you little cock-sucker." He said before whipping his arm back and hitting Sam clear across the face with the butt of his gun.

Seeing the blood appear on his brother's face, Dean grew even angrier and he moved to get closer.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Elias said as he fisted Sam's hair in his hand and forced his head back in a very painful position as he forced him to stand. "Now, you want to try this again?" He asked turning back to Sam.

"I said no. I don't want to suck your dick and you can't make me." Sam said trying to find a way to get out of Elias's grip without ripping a good chunk of his hair out. "I'm never going to suck your puny little dick again and you can tell all your buddies that!" Sam was beyond angry and there was no way he was going to be anyone's bitch ever again. He had worked too damn hard and been through too much to throw it all away now. So with his brother's voice in his head telling him he didn't deserve to be treated that way and that no one had the right to do that to him, he stood and faced his attacker trying to appear a lot less fearful than he actually felt.

"You no good piece of shit! I gave you an order! You know that Frank wouldn't be very happy with you right now Sammy or do you not remember that the customer always gets what he wants." Elias said switching tactics and hoping to instill some fear into the young teen.

"I don't care." Sam replied hoping Elias didn't pick up on the shake in his voice. A year after Frank had been thrown in jail, just the mention of his name still evoked a bit of fear in Sam. He hoped it wouldn't always be that way but he didn't count on it.

Elias growled. "You know better than to talk back, maybe you've forgotten the rules and need a little review." He said before pushing Sam back down onto his knees and beginning to kick him viciously.

"No!" Dean yelled at the top of his lungs when he saw Elias launch the brutal attack on his brother. The beating was ruthless with the kicks landing anywhere and everywhere including Sam's chest, stomach, groin, and arms and legs. He thought he even saw Sam's already bruised face take a couple of hits. Dean stood transfixed for a moment as he watched Sam try to curl into the smallest ball possible in order to try and protect himself. Out of the corner of his eye, Dean spotted a steak knife lying unattended on a nearby table and went to grab it when he felt a hand close around his wrist. "You really should check to make sure someone's dead before you leave them unattended." The man said in Dean's ear.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Dean threatened as he ripped his arm free.

"Yeah and I'm gonna fuck the daylights out of little Sammy. It's been a while and the two of us need to get reacquainted." He smirked pulling out his gun and pointing it at Dean.

"Over my dead body," He repeated.

"That can be arranged." He smiled and pulled the trigger.

~DW/SW~

Sam heard the gunshot go off and closed his eyes tighter as more tears spilled down over his cheeks. _No, not Dean… please I'll… I'll do anything just don't let them kill him… please I need him… please_ he silently begged no longer having the will to fight back. If Dean had just been shot then Sam couldn't care less what Elias did to him. He would already be dead. Dean was the person who made Sam's world turn round, his big brother made him feel safe and protected. He never had to worry that Dean would judge him or hold his past against him. For the first time ever, he was loved unconditionally. If all of that were to go away… he didn't know what he'd do.

Dean rolled to the side, the bullet just grazing him. He groaned as he got to his knees and pushed himself up. "That's a lousy aim you got there." Dean taunted. He figured as long as the man's attention was on him, it wasn't directed at his brother and that gave Sam at least a bit of a chance.

_I'm dreaming, I heard the gun go off… that can't be him, he's… he's _Sam couldn't bring himself to say it, let alone think it.

"Now, I'm not going to say this again, which one of you assholes wants to die first?" Dean asked cracking his knuckles as he stared at Sam's abusers with a murderous look in his eyes.

_It is him! Thank you, thank you, thank you, I promise I won't do another bad thing my entire life! _Sam almost smiled at the thought that his big brother was still kicking. It was then that Sam realized he needed to fight back, the way Dean had shown him. He needed to help Dean take these guys down but more than that, he had to prove to himself that he could stand on his own two feet and defend himself. He wouldn't be a victim, someone for others to play with anymore… those days were long gone and he had every intention of proving that to his former abuser.

Elias turned his head for a minute and swung the gun's aim to Dean. "I think that would be you." He smirked cruelly before firing. Dean barely had time to duck behind the edge of the booth as the bullets whizzed by him. _Fuck!_ He mentally screamed trying to calculate how he was going to get Sam out of this though he knew he'd eat as many bullets as he had to if that meant his brother would live. Dean quickly realized the problem with that logic though and chucked that plan out the window.

Seeing his chance when Elias loosened his grip on his shirt, Sam scrambled to his feet feeling every punch and kick he'd received. Ignoring his aching body, he stood on shaky feet and swung a fist, barely missing Elias by an inch. Sam stumbled and nearly cried out in pain when he had to catch himself on a nearby booth. Each movement he made was jarring to his battered body.

Realizing his prey had managed to get up off the ground, Elias turned his attention back to Sam. "You've gotten feisty, have you boy? Who knows maybe it'll be better to fuck you dry when you're struggling instead of acting like a rag doll?" Elias smiled, undeterred as he stalked toward Sam.

~DW/SW~

Rachel squatted underneath the table holding her cell in her hand trying to quietly dial 911. She couldn't see what was going on but the sounds were more than enough and the gun shot had scared her immensely but she knew she needed to get her friends help as soon as possible.

"911, what's your emergency?" The operator asked.

"I'm at Ellie's Diner on Main Street, there's two guys with guns… they have hostages. Please send help quick." Rachel then hung up to avoid possibly getting caught and tipping Elias and his buddy off.

She tried to stop the shaking in her hands while she listened as Dean let out a feral scream.

~DW/SW~

Elias's partner in crime turned his head for a split moment giving Dean the opportunity to get his bearings back. He ignored the sting in his side and with a fierce roar, he launched himself at the bastard's back wrapping his arms around the man's throat. "You can't rape him if you're dead." Dean whispered before driving the steak knife into the man's side.

Once Dean was sure that the man wasn't going to get up anytime soon, he grabbed the man's gun and stood to find Elias dry-humping his brother.

Sam felt humiliated as Elias humped him through his jeans and he wished that his big brother would come save him. He'd tried to fight back but knew it was a losing battle when he could barely stand. He thought for sure he had at least one broken bone somewhere as pain radiated throughout his body. _I tried Dean, I tried… I used the moves you taught me but… but god, it just hurts too much and I'm sorry, I'm sorry_ Sam thought as he silently begged for forgiveness for whatever he'd done wrong now.

"You fucking asshole! I'm gonna kill you!" He threatened aiming the gun at Elias even with the knowledge that at the moment, he'd probably hit Sam instead of Elias with the way two were positioned.

Sam heard Dean's growl and his promise to kill Elias and felt a small bit of hope grow in his chest. _He's not dead, he's not dead, they didn't get him… he won't let Elias take me…_ Sam had to keep reminding himself that Elias hadn't succeeded in ending Sam's world as he knew it because right now, everything seemed extremely fuzzy and he was finding it hard to concentrate. His temporary relief that was brought on by hearing Dean's voice was replaced with fear by the sound of Elias' voice ringing in his ears.

"Oh come on Dean, the little bitch likes this, doesn't he now?" Elias smiled then leaned down to suck on Sam's neck, all the while keeping his eyes locked with Dean's.

"I'm not your bitch." Sam mustered with a disgusted look on his face as Elias's tongue made its way around the back of his neck and up to his ear.

_Damn right, you're not _Dean thought as he watched Sam sway on his feet even with Elias holding him up. He could see the physical evidence of the attack all across his brother's face. He knew without a doubt there was more hidden beneath Sam's sweatshirt and jeans. The emotional damage he knew this experience would cause his brother was going to be great but he felt proud that even though Sam had to be in a world of pain, he was still trying to defend himself against someone that Dean knew Sam used to be terrified of. Dean raised his gun and clicked the safety off.

"You can't shoot me Dean, not without hitting Sammy-boy here." He said as his free hand wandered under Sam's shirt. Suddenly Elias stopped when he felt smooth skin instead of the raised bumps he knew the teen should have. He'd inflicted a good share of Sam's scars himself. "Thought you could get rid of me? Did you forget all of your little lessons and our time together?"

"I… I didn't deserve it." Sam replied in an incredibly shaky voice. "I never did."

"You didn't? Is that what this guy is telling you Sam?" Elias asked. "That what we did was wrong? How about when you enjoyed it because I know you did. I remember how that sweet little mouth of yours would fall open as you begged me to stop even though you'd spread your legs the second you saw me come into the room. You're a Hoare Sam, nothing but a good fuck, and even if no one's using you right now, that's the only thing you'll ever be."

"That's not true Sam and you know it!" Dean said trying to counteract as much of Elias' cruel words as he could. "Don't you fucking dare!" Dean threatened when he saw Elias finger the button on Sam's jeans before popping it and slipping his hand inside.

Sam looked helplessly at his brother, pleading with him to get him out of there before his worst nightmare happened for everyone present to witness.

Dean gave Sam an almost imperceptible nod and began to slowly inch closer to Elias and his brother.

Elias surprised Sam by instead of curling a hand around his genitals, Elias passed by Sam's member and moved his hand to cup Sam's ass. Dean got a pretty good idea of what he was doing when he saw Sam's mouth fall open and his eyes close. A moment later Sam began to tremble and tears fell down his face making clean lines in the blood smears. Sam could feel Elias's hard dick snuggling in between his cheeks through the denim of his jeans. Elias's fat finger teased his hole before pushing itself inside and making Sam whimper painfully.

With the gun pressed tightly to Sam's head, Dean didn't dare make a move yet but he had to reach his brother somehow. "Hey Sammy, open your eyes and look at me." Dean pleaded.

Sam shook his head. He couldn't look at Dean, not now, not while he was being finger-fucked by the bastard.

"It's gonna be okay Sam, I'm gonna get you out of here, I promise okay. I'm right here, you're not alone little brother, I'm right here." Dean kept up a steady stream of words as he watched Elias torture his brother. "I love you and I'm right here Sam, I'm right here." Dean felt like throwing up as he watched Sam be brutalized and had to keep from turning away. If Sam did open his eyes, Dean didn't want Sam to face this alone but instead know that even if this was one of the most disturbing things he'd ever been through, his big brother was right there.

Elias smirked and pulled his hand out of Sam's underwear before buttoning him back up. "God, I missed you."

Sam was still trembling but managed a weak glare at the man.

"Oh, now don't look at me like that. At least you can know that once we get out of here, I won't sell you out like Frank did." Elias said as he caressed Sam's cheek. Sam tried to turn his face away from the touch. Elias's hand was sticky and Sam shuddered to think that it was because of him. He hated the things Elias and his 'friend's' did to him without his permission and how even if he despised them with every fiber of his being, they still managed to make his body react to it and for that, he hated himself. "Gonna keep your pretty ass all to myself."

Using Sam and Elias's conversation as a diversion, Dean took his chance and managed to get a good bit closer before Elias realized what had happened. "You wouldn't shoot me Dean, not with the risk of me shooting Sam."

"You have no idea what I'll risk for him." Dean replied. "I love him and I swear to God, I will make you pay for every single thing you've ever done to him." The look on his face promised he'd follow through on his words.

"What about your parents or are you glad they're gone?" Elias asked smugly.

"Oh don't worry, I'll make sure you pay for that too." Dean answered. He wanted nothing more than to rip this man, the one who'd managed to hurt everyone in Dean's family, apart and watch as the bastard pleaded for his life. "You have no idea how much fun I'm going to have tearing you apart, piece by piece."

"I'm terrified." Elias mocked before moving the gun down from Sam's head to his groin.

Dean wasn't sure what Elias was planning to do next but he hoped the psycho wasn't trigger-happy. He knew this was his chance as the gun was no longer directed at Sam's head but before he could get his shot off, Elias and Sam both fell to the ground. Dean heard a shout of pain come from Sam as Elias landed on top of him.

"Sam!" Dean screamed running towards the pair and throwing his gun to the side. After checking to make sure Elias was actually dead, he shoved the ruthless bastard off his brother and knelt beside Sam. "Sammy?" He asked cupping his brother's cheek.

Sam tried to answer but all he could do was cough violently.

"Shh, you're okay. I've got you, I'm right here." Dean soothed before he realized that Sam had just coughed up a bit of blood. _No, no, no_ he prayed as he gently lifted his brother's folded arms.

Sam whimpered and turned his head away.

"Fuck!" Dean yelled when he saw Sam's shirt was covered in blood. In the hopes that the blood belonged to Elias, he lifted Sam's shirt and felt his heart stop for the second time that day when he saw the bullet wound in his brother's stomach right below his belly button. "Oh god," He said before quickly removing his own shirt and pressing it against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

Sam whimpered again and pleaded to be left alone.

"I know it hurts little brother, shh, just hold on for me okay? I'm right here and I promise soon you'll be good as new okay." He said trying to keep the tears at bay as he looked at Sam's broken body.

Dean felt someone come and kneel beside him. "Here, I have a bit of training, let me help." He looked up to see Rachel sitting beside him.

He nodded and she took over trying to stop the bleeding. Dean moved up so Sam could see him. Ignoring where the bullet had grazed him, Dean leaned over and cupped Sam's extremely bruised face in his hands. His left eye was swollen completely shut, he had several cuts on his cheeks, and his bottom lip was split and bleeding. He had a gash that was bleeding pretty heavily on his forehead and his nose looked broken and Dean knew there was more hidden that he couldn't see. All in all, Sam was a mess. Add in the bullet wound and it was obvious his brother needed to get to a hospital as soon as possible. "I'm here little brother, I'm here." He cooed running a hand through Sam's bangs.

Sam let out a moan when Rachel pressed down on his stomach to try and staunch the bleeding and tears rapidly fell down his face.

Overcome with rage at watching Sam suffer, Dean stood up and ran over to where Elias had fallen before brutally kicking any part of the man he could reach. "You fucking bastard! I hate you, I hate you!" He screamed over and over again. "Don't touch me." He growled when he felt a pair of arms try to restrain him.

"It's over Dean, its over." Ryan said as he pulled the young man away from the fresh corpse.

"It's about fucking time you showed up." Dean growled before he passed out.

~DW/SW~

The first thing Dean noticed as he started to wake up was how bright it was. The next thing he noticed was how sore his side was. He looked down to see that he was wearing patient scrubs making him wondered what he was doing in the hospital when it all came back to him. "Sam." He said out loud, worry and fear tainting his voice.

"You're awake," Mike said as he moved his chair closer.

"Where's Sammy?" Dean asked desperately.

"He's right here," Mike said standing up so Dean could see across to his brother's bed.

Dean breathed a sigh of relief before he pulled the covers back and sat up. "Fuck," He cursed when his side burned. "Help me." He pleaded.

"Hold on Dean, you shouldn't be moving too much. You're lucky that the bullet just grazed you." Mike replied.

"I'm seeing him, now either you can watch me fall flat on my ass or help me but either way, I've got to see him." Mike shook his head knowing it was pointless to argue with him and after a moment of hesitation, Mike got out of the chair he'd been occupying for the last four hours since his shift started and gingerly helped Dean out of bed. "Rachel is going to kill me if she finds out you've been outta bed." Mike muttered.

"Sammy," Dean sighed when they got to his brother's bed and reached through the guardrails on Sam's bed to lace his fingers with Sam's. "God kiddo, what… what did the doctors say?" He asked turning back to Mike but keeping contact with Sam.

Mike's face grew somber as he thought about the long list of injuries the kid had.

Just then, a doctor in blue scrubs and a white lab coat walked into the room. "You really shouldn't be out of bed Mr. Winchester." The woman admonished.

"That's nice," He retorted sarcastically before he glanced at Sam's swollen face and he felt sick when he saw the tube coming out of Sam's mouth. "How is he?" He asked.

"Why don't you get back into your bed before you tear the stitches and then I'll tell you how Sam is?" She suggested in a no nonsense voice.

"Doc…" Mike cut Dean off.

"Dean please, both you and Sam went through the wringer, okay please man, just… just get back into the bed. Sam's right here, you can still keep an eye on him from your bed okay." Mike pleaded making Dean wonder what had happened while he'd been out.

Seeing the distraught look on his friend's face, Dean relented and slowly made it back to his bed. "Kay, I'm in my bed, now tell me." He said trying to hide the flinch his stitches were causing.

The woman walked up to the bed and introduced herself. "I'm Sherrill Wayne, I'll be Sam and yours doctor while you're in here. Now your brother has some very serious injuries that we are keeping a close eye on." Dean nodded his head, remembering watching Sam get beaten and his eyes grew dark with anger. "His spleen had been ruptured and required surgery to remove it. His left kidney is severely bruised and our main concern with that is that it doesn't get any worse, if it does he may have to go on dialysis. The gunshot wound to his stomach was a bit troublesome and he's lucky that he was able to get to the hospital quickly. We stitched it up in surgery and without further complications, it should heal fine. His right arm was also broken in the attack and that also required surgery." Dean couldn't believe it, how many times had this doctor said the word surgery?

"Is… is there anything else?" He asked.

The doctor nodded. "Two of his ribs were also broken and unfortunately, when he fell they punctured his lung so he's now on a chest tube as well as the respirator. Hopefully, we'll be able to wean him off the respirator in the next day or two but that really depends on when he wakes up. The chest tube however, will more than likely have to be in for at least a week."

Dean shook his head and glanced across at Sam, hating seeing Sam hooked up to the machines.

The doctor continued. "Sam also sustained several cuts and bruises, mostly on his face."

Dean nodded. "He's gonna be okay though right?" Though he knew the answer, he'd do everything to help Sam get through this.

"If he doesn't suffer any complications from the surgeries or develop an infection, he should make a full recovery, physically that is." Dean nodded again. He knew Sam wouldn't make it through this mentally unscathed and prepared himself for the nightmares he knew would come.

"Aren't you going to ask how you scored?" Mike asked as he watched Dean's eyes drift back to Sam's sleeping form.

Dean shook his head.

"You can't take care of him if you're not okay yourself Dean." Mike reprimanded.

"When is he going to wake up?" Dean asked changing the subject.

"Probably sometime in the next day or two but really all we can do is wait." Dr. Wayne answered.

Dean nodded and tuned out the rest of whatever the good doctor was going to say. _Please come back to me Sam, please little brother_ Dean prayed Sam wouldn't hate him when he woke up.

* * *

Hey! So hopefully the chapter was enjoyable, please let me know. I'll probably have the next chapter up sometime next week, maybe Friday if I'm lucky. Thanks again for your continued support, I really appreciate all of you taking the time to read this and review! :)


	17. Chapter 17

Hi guys! Here's ch. 17, I'm not too sure about the flow of it but I think if I mess with it anymore, I'll just end up ruining it. There's not a whole lot of verbal communication between Sam and Dean this chapter but I promise, next chapter that will change. Also, chances are some of the medical and cop stuff is incorrect but I don't claim to be a cop or doctor so it's all good.

I want to thank everyone who is reading this story and especially to those of you that send me a review! I appreciate everyone taking the time to read this and I look forward to your feedback.

I hope you are all continuing to have a good holiday season and HAPPY NEW YEAR! Enjoy! :)

* * *

Dean was standing beside Sam's bed, gently pushing Sam's bangs back repeatedly. He wasn't sure what to say to the unconscious teen so he just kept quiet watching as the respirator did the work and pumped oxygen into Sam's body. Dean had hated seeing Sam hooked up to one when he had OD'd and he hated it now. Now it seemed worse though and Dean thought maybe that was due to the chest tube Sam also required. He wanted the damn things removed ASAP.

There had been some good news earlier in the day but Dean was having a hard time focusing on it. Dr. Wayne had been in that morning to tell Dean that Sam's urine output was up and it looked like they may have dodged the bullet with the dialysis. Dean knew he should be happy that there was something his brother wouldn't have to deal with but thinking of everything that Sam was going to have to deal with, physically, emotionally, and mentally, made it hard for him to be anything but angry and guilt-ridden.

The road ahead of them was sure to be long and hard with lots of ups and downs and Dean was counting on more downs than ups. Dean knew how cruel people could be and he knew that they should expect at least a few unkind incidences. He didn't think people were going to react too well to what had happened and he could see Sam being their likely scapegoat. He just hoped that group didn't include James, Kate, Andy, and Bobby. He knew their rejection would make his brother absolutely heartbroken and he wasn't sure Sam would be able to overcome that. Thinking about Sam's friends only made Dean angrier. The dance that Sam had been invited to and had been actually excited about was only a couple days away and there was no way Sam was going to it now. It made Dean angry that because of these perverted bastards, his brother was once again denied something that most teenagers, including himself, had often taken for granted.

Dean was also sure that Sam's mind was going to play many mean tricks on him over the next several weeks, maybe even months to come. He grew increasingly frustrated and saddened when he remembered how bad Sam's nightmares had been in the beginning and how infrequent the sleepless nights had become as his brother continued to try to put his past behind him. He remembered the way Sam would wake up, screaming and crying and once he'd learned to trust Dean, he'd cling to his big brother until the tremors finally stopped. The rest of the night would be tense with Dean trying to coax Sam into sleeping a few more hours and Sam refusing to, lying awake and staring up at the ceiling until lack of sleep caught up to him and forced him to close his eyes. Dean would cover Sam with what had become 'his' blanket, the same one he'd given Sam that first day he'd spent at Dean's house and watch as his breathing evened out. He would then finally slip out of the bed to make some coffee, knowing he wouldn't be falling back asleep anytime soon. "Oh Sammy," Dean mumbled as his mind continued to contemplate everything ahead of them.

Just thinking about Sam's physical recovery alone was enough to make Dean want to pull his hair out. The bruises on his brother's face had gone down only slightly, just enough so that they weren't the dark blue blotches anymore but were still prominent across his eye and cheek. Sam's broken arm was another issue. He'd have to be in the cast for at least a couple of weeks and Sam was unfortunately, right-handed. Dean was sure that Sam would find having the cast on discouraging which at the moment was the last thing they needed. Sam's broken ribs were sure to be painful when he woke and were going to limit his mobility even more basically forcing Sam to stay in bed or on the couch until they healed which according to the doctors would be at least a few weeks, possibly a month.

Dean shook his head as he stared down at Sam's injured form and felt tears form in his eyes and he hastily wiped them away. Now was not the time for him to cry. Sam could wake up soon and Dean did not want Sam to see him in the midst of another breakdown. Dean's head snapped up when he heard one of the monitors Sam was hooked up to let out a loud series of alarming beeps. "Sammy? Hang in there okay kid, don't you dare give up on me!" Dean ordered, fearing that the beeping meant there was something wrong, something seriously wrong with his brother. "Please Sammy, don't give up." He begged.

Dr. Wayne and Mara, Sam's nurse, came into the room in the middle of Dean's pleas and quickly strode over to Sam's bed.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked worriedly as he clutched Sam's hand tighter in his.

Mara gave Dean a small smile as she watched the attentive young man. "It seems someone here wants to try on his own." She said as Dr. Wayne turned down the dial on the respirator until it was at its next to lowest setting.

"He's waking up?" Dean asked, suddenly feeling incredibly nervous.

Dr. Wayne nodded. "It looks like it. I've ordered a light sedative for him so once this heavier one wears off, we'll start him on that and then slowly ease him awake." She informed him. "You can talk to him if you like. It would probably be very comforting if he hears a familiar voice as he starts to come around." Dr. Wayne finished with the respirator and left Mara to finish checking Sam's vitals once she'd made sure Dean didn't have any questions.

Dean looked down at his brother, his mouth dry. _What do I say? Does he even want me to talk to him? What do I do?_

Mara saw Dean's hesitation and understood it a little having seen it before, family members unsure of what to say to a loved one in a hospital bed, especially after an incident like this. "He could probably use a friendly voice right now, especially his big brother's." She coaxed.

"I don't feel much like a big brother." Dean mumbled.

Mara watched as Dean gently stroked her patient's bangs and held his hand, running his thumb repeatedly over the young boy's knuckles and smiled a little. "You look like a big brother." She observed. Ever since Dean had woken up, he had been beside Sam's bed constantly and had to be bullied into looking after himself. It was obvious to anybody and everybody who caught even a glimpse of his actions that Dean truly cared about Sam. She finished checking Sam's vitals and then left the room leaving the door open.

Dean nodded absently, his eyes still solely focused on Sam's face watching for any sign that his brother was actually surfacing. While he desperately wanted his brother to open his eyes so he could prove to him that everything was going to be okay, he was also scared of how Sam would react once he was awake and aware of his environment. _Would he just want to be held or would he avoid another person's touch at all cost? Would he be angry, would he be tearful? Would he want to hide or would he act like nothing had happened? Would Sam want to try to get through this or would this be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back?_ Dean had no idea what the answers would be and he knew the only way he would find out was when Sam woke up. He internally shuddered when he thought about the way Sam had been when they had first met. Silent, scared, withdrawn, low self-esteem, hell, at one point Sam had even OD'd on his anti-depression meds… _would they have to go through all of that again? Would Dean and the staff here and Sam's friends have to learn how to understand his silent cues, would Sam even let them try?_

"Wake up Sammy please, wake up soon kiddo. I know you're scared right now, I know you are because I am too but I swear to you that we will get through this. You will get through this, I'll get you through it, I… I promise." Dean said as he gently swept Sam's bangs back. "I know you don't have much reason to believe me but I swear Sam, on my parent's graves, I will get you through this." He bent down and kissed Sam's forehead. "Just please come back to me Sam, please." He begged as a few tears finally rolled down his cheeks.

~DW/SW~

Dean turned around when there was a knock on the door and saw Mike standing in the open doorway. He had a balloon with him, a blue one that read 'Get Well Soon' on it. Dean gave his friend a tired smile and waved him in.

Mike walked over to the farthest bed in the room and placed the balloon a little out of the way. "How is he?" He asked knowing Sam's state would reflect Dean's.

Dean shrugged feeling extremely worn-out as he played the waiting game.

"I heard the good news." Mike said as he took note of the dark circles under Dean's eyes.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, ah, the doctors say he should wake up soon but they're still going to keep him lightly sedated because of the chest tube." He sighed tiredly. "I… I want him to wake up Mike, I do, but I'm terrified of it because I don't want him to wake up and then…" Dean shook his head and dropped off.

"What?" Mike asked grabbing a chair and setting it beside Dean. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees.

Dean looked at Mike with tear-filled eyes, the sleepless nights, his worry and anxiety causing his walls to crumble easily. "I don't want him to hate me." He said sounding incredibly unsure of himself.

"He could never hate you." Mike replied causing Dean to look at him as if he were crazy. "What have you done to possibly make Sam hate you?" He asked knowing what Dean's answer would be and he thought that was ridiculous. If he knew Dean as well as he thought he did and what he'd heard was right, then Dean had done everything in his power to stop the gun carrying psychos down at the diner. "You think this is your fault? Did you put Sam in that bed?" Mike asked looking hard at Dean. "Did you shoot him or break his arm?"

Dean was quiet. "I may as well have." He answered.

"You did everything you could Dean and everyone knows that, everyone… including Sam okay so stop with the guilt trips alright man? They're not gonna help anybody, least of all Sam." He replied. "He will wake up and once he does, all of us will help him deal with what happened." Mike said gently squeezing Dean's shoulder.

There was a bit of silence as the two young men watched over Sam. Mike saw Dean yawn out of the corner of his eye. "Have you slept at all?" He asked. "You look like shit."

Dean sent a weak glare towards Mike. "Thanks."

"Seriously, go get in your bed, I'll sit here with him." Mike suggested.

"No, I should be here." Dean replied stubbornly.

Mike wasn't going to take no for an answer. "Dean, you are here, hell you've been here since you woke up. I'm surprised that chair doesn't have an imprint of your ass in it."

"What if he wakes up?" Dean asked stalling as long as he could.

"Dean, he's not going to wake up okay, not in the next two hours and if he does, I'll wake you. Now go, get!" Mike ordered with a small smile on his face.

"Fine," Dean said standing and groaning at the stiffness of his stitches. Before he climbed into the bed, he turned back and stared at Mike. "Wake me up if anything and I mean anything changes."

Mike nodded. "Don't worry, now get some rest… you're gonna need it soon enough."

Dean nodded trying to stifle the contented sigh that wanted to erupt from him as he sank into the mattress. Granted it was a hospital mattress but it was a mattress none the less and a hell of a lot more comfortable than any hospital chair.

Mike smiled triumphantly as he watched Dean settle under the covers and took up his position, watching over two of his family members feeling equally worried about the two figures in the beds.

~DW/SW~

Over the next day and a half, Dr. Wayne continued to lower the setting on the respirator until it was only there as a safety measure to make sure Sam did continue to breathe. There had been more good news and if things progressed as they had been, the chest tube could possibly be removed sometime over the weekend or at the start of the week. Dean wasn't sure he was ready to face his brother but knew he had no choice when he saw Sam's hand curl and twist the covers underneath it.

He was nervous as he stood there wondering whether he should be holding Sam's hand or if Sam would turn away from him. But he stood anyway, or as straight as he could right now without tearing his stitches and leaned over the guardrail to put his face in Sam's line of sight. "Hey Sammy, you waking up?" He asked softly, afraid to speak any louder.

A small groan followed by a whimper was what Dean got in return.

Dean reached up and gently cupped Sam's face in his hand. "I know it hurts kiddo, I know and I'm sorry." Dean said biting his lip, trying to quell the tight feeling building in his chest. Sam didn't need to see him upset right now because Dean had no doubt Sam would be doing enough crying for the both of them soon enough.

A minute later, Sam's eyes opened and Dean felt his heart begin to break at the amount of immense sadness and pure fear that filled Sam's normally sparkling hazel eyes.

Dean hesitated as he wondered what to do, what did he say to make Sam feel better and fix this, hell, could he fix this? He stood there watching as Sam stared up at him hopelessly. The same look of desperation on his face that had been there during the assault at the diner. Dean took a deep breath, preparing himself for the battle he knew that lay ahead of him. "Shh, don't talk okay. Let's just get this out of the way first okay kiddo." He said hating the tears that were spilling down Sam's cheeks as he reached to the side of Sam's bed and pressed the call button. "Shh, it's gonna be okay."

A moment later both Mara and Dr. Wayne entered the room, subdued smiles on their faces when they saw that Sam had finally woken up. "Hi Sam, I'm Dr. Wayne and this is Mara, she's a nurse." She waited a moment as Sam adjusted to the increase in people around him. Dean felt the hand in his tighten to the point where Sam's nails were digging into his palm. He didn't care and continued to quietly soothe his brother the best he could.

"It's okay kiddo, she's here to help alright." Dean soothed.

"I know that's really uncomfortable so what do you say we take it out, hmm, can I do that?" Dr. Wayne asked.

Sam gave an almost imperceptible nod but his eyes were still wide with fear.

"Okay," Dr. Wayne smiled and then turned to Mara instructing her to turn the respirator all the way off. "I need you to take a big breath, can you do that for me?" She asked. Sam did. "Good job Sam, just hold it okay, we're almost done. You're doing really good Sam." And with that, one of the machines Dean hated so much was removed.

Sam coughed and Dean smiled as he retook his place beside the bed, holding a paper cup with some water in it up to Sam's mouth. "Hey," He said thinking that sounded incredibly lame. His little brother had just woken up after being beaten and sexually assaulted and all he could come up with was 'hey'. He was surprised when he felt the hand in his tighten even more and then he thought he heard Sam mumble something unintelligible. "What Sammy, I didn't catch that." He asked bending lower.

"Don't leave me, please…" Sam pleaded in a rough and hushed tone of voice reminding Dean of a very terrified Sam… the same terrified kid he'd left at the center.

"I'm not going anywhere kiddo, not unless you're next to me." Dean replied knowing that he would be discharged before Sam and hoping that they would bend visiting hours for him. If not, the hospital would have a fight on its hands.

After that Sam became very quiet and he closed his eyes but his grip on Dean's hand, on his lifeline, remained strong until he fell asleep again about half an hour later. Dean leaned down and brushed his face against Sam's, a small bit of hope starting to grow in his chest, his brother was obviously very traumatized by what had happened but Dean smiled a little at one small accomplishment… Sam hadn't turned away from him.

~DW/SW~

Dean had been sitting in 'his' chair, still holding Sam's hand rubbing gentle circles on the back of it with his thumb when there was a knock behind him. A quick look back told Dean that Detectives Sharpe and Dixon were standing in the doorway. He gave Sam's hand a gentle squeeze and then stood up, feeling the stiffness in his back and side. Officer Dixon gave a small nod of the head, indicating they'd be outside and Dean nodded back before leaning over the side of the bed again. "I just have to go talk to Scott and Ryan okay kiddo, I'll be right back." He pressed a quick kiss to Sam's forehead and smiled sadly; hoping Sam wouldn't wake up while he was gone. He knew that would end badly, especially if Sam got it into his head that Dean had left. If so, then that one small accomplishment that had made Dean's morning a tad bit brighter would be ruined.

"What is it?" He asked his tone angry. He wasn't exactly happy with the Lawrence police department right now. He knew that they had tried their best over the past year and a half while working on Sam's case but a lot of mistakes had been made along the way. Some were his fault but most were the police's doings. Their most recent had been shooting Elias when he had a gun directed at Sam. When Elias had been shot, on reflex, he had pulled the trigger and had shot Sam in the stomach. Dean knew the cops hadn't meant to cause his brother to get shot and be further traumatized but still, that was a pretty damn big mistake.

Ryan and Scott shared a look at Dean's attitude towards them. Both of them felt guilty for the way certain parts of the investigation had been handled, like at the diner, but they also had their own issues with Dean. They had warned him that taking Sam out of the safe house was increasing the amount of danger around them and had tried to get him to see it that way but Dean hadn't bought it and now they were left with the repercussions of that decision.

"We wanted to let you know that we got identification on the second man involved in the attack." Scott answered.

Dean's gaze intensified. "Who is it?" He asked with an edge to his voice.

"His name is Ronnie Elway, he's a plumber two towns over and he's got no record at all, not even a traffic violation." Ryan supplied.

Dean nodded trying to take in what he'd been told, and feeling a bit freaked out that someone who seemed so normal to their community was actually a child rapist. He shook his head at the society he lived in and up until two years ago, had perceived as relatively safe. His view had drastically changed since then. "What happens now?" He asked.

"Both Elias and Ronnie are dead… it's pretty obvious they were killed in self-defense so there's no reason to press charges. The case is solved and done with." Ryan explained.

"What about Elias possibly being the one who killed my parents?" He asked wanting to know what would happen there.

"Since there's no way to question him and the fact that he didn't leave any souvenirs of any sort behind, there's no way to be positive about it but everything indicates he was the shooter." Scott replied knowing that wasn't nearly good enough for Dean. It wasn't good enough for him either and he wished they'd caught the bastard alive. The order had been to shoot to wound but Elias had moved causing their sniper to hit him in a deadly spot.

"At least the fucking bastard's finally dead." Dean said quietly and an angry silence filled the atmosphere around the trio. "I should get back to Sam, before he wakes up and finds me gone…"

Ryan nodded understandingly.

"We'll be in touch." Scott said as the two of them began to step back.

Dean looked at the two officers for a moment. "No offense guys but I hope not." While he had been glad to have their support during everything, even if they didn't always see eye-to-eye, Dean would rather have never had to deal with them in the first place. They were a necessary evil in his opinion. He ducked his head a bit and returned to the room, letting out a relieved sigh when he saw that Sam was still asleep. _Crisis averted_ he thought as he retook his seat beside the bed, waiting for the next time Sam surfaced.

~DW/SW~

Dean had been sitting back in his chair again, having just finished the tasteless lunch Mara had brought for him when he noticed the change in his brother's breathing. He quietly put his tray to the side and moved to get closer to Sam and gently laid a hand on his brother's arm surprised but relieved when Sam didn't flinch under his touch. "You sleep good?" He asked trying to keep the tone of his voice as normal as possible.

Sam nodded but kept his face turned away from Dean.

_Please look at me_ Dean silently pleaded.

He was about to say something when he heard a cough behind him. He turned around to find Dr. Wayne standing in the doorway. Dean gave her a small, sad smile. Dean held up his hand, silently asking for a minute. Dr. Wayne nodded yes and Dean turned back to Sam, his heart heavy at the frightened posture his brother was sporting.

Sam was lying with his head turned away from Dean and there wasn't a sound coming from him, it looked as if he was almost trying to be invisible. No sniffles, no pleas, nothing and Dean was worried as he watched Sam retreat into himself. The only sign that Sam was still in there somewhere was the tight, unrelenting grip he had around Dean's hand.

Leaning forward a little, Dean gently combed his free hand through Sam's bangs hoping to draw his brother's attention off of the wall and onto him. "Hey Sammy, can you look at me for a sec kiddo?" He asked quietly.

At first, Sam's head remained turned away but then slowly and blatantly fearfully Sam looked over at Dean, his eyes widening when he saw Dr. Wayne in the doorway and a small hiccupping-like noise emitted from his throat.

Dean saw Sam begin to panic and tightened his grip on the trembling hand, rubbing circles on the palm with his thumb. "Shh Sammy shh, it's okay, this is Dr. Sherrill, remember her? She's a good guy, okay, only the good guys are allowed in here alright? Shh Sammy, you gotta calm down a little okay. I know you're scared right now but I'm right here and no one's going to hurt you okay, I promise Sam." _Yeah like how you were right there when he was almost raped?_ Dean berated himself. _Don't think like that right now_ "Shh, breathe baby brother, breathe, its okay."

Sam kept panicked eyes on Dean as he whined and trembled terrified of the third person in the room. Sam tried to calm himself down using Dean's gentle voice and reassurances as an anchor but his traumatized mind only let him think one thought. _There's someone else in the room, it's not just me and Dean_, the fact that she had helped him earlier escaping him right then.

Seeing her patient's reaction and how difficult Sam was having at getting his breathing under control, Dr. Wayne made a difficult decision. She hurried out the door and was back a minute later rushing towards the trembling figure in the bed. "I'm sorry," She said apologetically as she inserted the syringe into Sam's IV that was taped to the back of his uncasted hand.

Dean hung his head before standing up and hurrying out of the room. He was majorly pissed off and even if his brother wasn't conscious right now, he didn't want to take it out anywhere near Sam.

"Dean, I'm sorry," Dr. Wayne repeated as she followed Dean out into the hall after doing her examination on Sam.

Dean didn't respond. "This is such bullshit!" He yelled before punching his fist against the wall not feeling the pain in his knuckles.

Dr. Wayne stood back; she had plenty of experience with angry family members when their loved ones weren't getting better for a number of reasons.

Sean and Rachel arrived in the middle of Dean's angry silent rant and looked to Dr. Wayne for an explanation. "Sam's awake now." She explained.

"But that's good news." Rachel said trying to help Dean focus on the minor good news.

Dean nodded curtly. "I know it is." He replied shortly.

"Then act like it." She admonished. "Come on Dean, if you're not focusing on the good, Sam won't either."

"I don't know if he's focusing on anything." Dean replied as he looked at the two of them. "He's so scared, I… I wasn't able to calm him down. That's why he's sedated right now because I'm failing him… I can't make this better…" He said with the guilt he was feeling poured all over his dejected stance.

Rachel walked over to where Dean was standing and gently placed a hand on his arm. "You can make this better, it's just gonna take time. It's been less than two weeks and he just woke up, Dean, cut yourself some slack hunh? What you did in the diner and the fact that you're so worried about him right now, you have nothing to feel guilty for."

"You can't beat yourself up over the past and what-ifs, you just gotta pick up the pieces and move on." Sean cut in.

Dean looked back and forth between the two. "It's not that easy," He said remembering a time when Sam had said those same exact words to him. "I don't know how to make him feel safe again."

"We know it won't be easy but you can do it…" Dean interrupted her as he picked up his rant again only verbalizing his thoughts now.

"I should have stopped it… I should have never let this happen." Dean said not listening to Rachel or Sean as they tried to calm him down. Mike had told them about Dean's earlier guilty attitude but he seemed to have gotten worse since when Mike saw him.

"Is that what you think, that you let this happen?" She asked him. "God Dean, no, you did everything you could. You faced down a maniac, two maniacs with guns for Sam okay without any concern for yourself." Rachel saw that she wasn't getting through to him as Dean continued to stare at the bed with tears rimming his eyes. "You gotta stop with the guilt trips Dean. They're not helping anybody, not you and certainly not Sam. What do think he's going to feel when he sees you berating yourself constantly? You're his rock, you told me that yourself, if you act like there's something to be guilty about, he's going to think the same way too and he's going to blame himself for it even more than he already will and I don't think that's what you want to do is it?" She asked.

Dean shook his head and wiped his eyes as he watched Sam sleep, making Sam feel guilty over something that was in no way his fault was not what Dean wanted to do at all.

Rachel and Sean both nodded, satisfied that they'd gotten him to calm down a bit.

"What's that?" Dean asked after a moment and motioned to the bag Rachel was holding.

"Something for Sam," She said as she pulled out the stuffed animal dog that looked identical to Ace.

Dean smiled a little when he saw it. "Thanks, he'll like it." He said taking it from her and unconsciously holding it close.

Rachel smiled back. "Don't worry about it…"

"We just wanted to stop by and see you guys, especially when Mike said Sam was awake." Sean replied as he stepped forward and gave Dean a man-hug. "Take care okay, we'll see you two soon and Dean..."

"Yeah?" Dean replied.

"Remember what we said, the only people who should feel guilty about what happened are the bastards who were holding the guns." Sean said with a serious look on his face.

Dean nodded, unsure if he could actually believe that right now, and gave Rachel a hug as well. He watched them walk down the corridor before returning to the room. Dean took the present Rachel had brought out of the bag and placed it beside Sam on the bed. He then leaned over the guardrail and rested his forehead against Sam's. _Please God, let me be enough for him_ He thought.

* * *

Hey! Thanks again for reading and I hope you'll let me know what you thought of it. I am going to update Lucky Number 7 first before I start working on the next chapter of this one because I think that story needs a little attention and then I'll update this one. Thanks again and have a good New Year! :)


	18. Chapter 18

Hey, here's the next chapter... so, let's just get it out there that I suck at updating. I thought I would have more time to write this weekend but nope, ended up spending the majority of the weekend doing yard work oh well, at least I got to see My Bloody Valentine (which was awesome!) No spoilers, don't worry but I so wanted to tell him to get in the Impala and grab his shotgun... I didn't expect to scream during it but I did, a tad bit embarrassing if I say so myself.

Anyways, thanks for waiting so patiently, you guys are awesome! I'm not sure how well I did with Sam's reactions to different things so I hope it's not confusing or too back-and-forth. Enjoy and I hope you'll let me know what you thought. Thanks again for sticking around! :)

* * *

Dean woke up when he heard Mara quietly open his and Sam's door. "Morning," She smiled. "I brought the two of you breakfast, it's not anything fancy but it'll do." She placed Dean's tray by his bed and set Sam's next to his bed, ready for him when he woke up.

Dean tried to smile his thanks but he was pretty sure it looked more like a grimace.

"Dean…" Mara stopped and shook her head. "If there's anything either of you need, please don't hesitate to ask me."

Dean nodded. "Will do." He replied.

She smiled again and then left the room, leaving Dean to his thoughts. Dean looked at the tray in front of him and felt his stomach flip, he wasn't hungry, not in the least. Pushing the tray away, Dean glanced over to his brother's bed and watched as Sam seemed to be sleeping peacefully. His brother had woken up once during the night but when Dean went to go check on him, Sam had pretended to still be sleeping.

"You're not going to be any good to him if you don't take care of yourself." A voice said from the door.

Dean looked over and saw Sean standing in the doorway.

"I just wanted to drop these off," He said motioning to the gift basket and balloon in his arms. "They're from costumers." He explained.

"Oh… um okay, I guess you can put them over there." Dean sat up more. "So, things are okay?" He asked.

"Nothing I can't handle." Sean answered. "I should probably go, Mr. Hannen dropped 'Lady' off yesterday so I better go get working on her." He said referring to the old man who only trusted Dean and Sean with his '69 Chevalle.

Dean let out a small laugh. "What now?" He asked.

"Ah, the old man's claiming that it's not starting up right whatever the hell he means by that." Sean smiled.

Dean nodded, the man could be a bit paranoid about things go wronging with the old machine when in reality it was just his driving style that sucked.

"Tell the kid I say hi?" Sean asked.

Dean nodded again, this time his face a bit more solemn.

"It's gonna be okay Dean, it's gonna take time but it will be…" Sean reassured when he saw the look on Dean's face. "Well, I'll swing by again in the next day or so, call if you need anything. Bye man!"

"Bye dude," Dean said quietly as he watched Sean walk out the door. He wished he was as confidant as his friends were but there was a good bit of doubt preventing him from feeling that way.

~DW/SW~

"Morning," Dean smiled a while later, when he saw Sam's eyes open trying for both their sakes to keep up at least the presence of a normal conversation. Dean was pretty sure that if his mask slipped even a little, he wouldn't be able to get it back in time to stop the flood of emotions that he was currently trying to keep hidden… especially from Sam who had learned how to read him pretty easily. Guilt, sadness, and anger were all he felt at the moment and he was pretty certain that Sam would probably take them the wrong way thinking Dean somehow blamed him for what had happened.

Sam glanced at Dean for a moment before holding out his hand in a silent plea. Dean's smile softened as he climbed out of his bed and walked the few feet to Sam's. He slipped his hand into Sam's slightly shaking hand, squeezing tightly. _I'm here, I've got you_ was conveyed in the gentle touch. "Mara brought you some breakfast." He tried a few minutes later motioning to the tray that was off to the side of Sam's bed. He had finished his breakfast earlier when his stomach had finally rumbled enough to let him know that eating would be okay… for the moment at least.

"I'm not hungry." Sam whispered.

"Ya sure, it's good… well for hospital food anyway." Dean coaxed. "C'mon kiddo, you gotta eat." He said when Sam remained quiet.

"Why?" Sam asked.

_Please don't be giving up_ Dean prayed. "So you can get better and we can go home, put this behind us." Dean answered.

Sam shook his head and turned away, he wasn't sure if he could put this behind him because he'd tried that and look at what had happened. He turned to look at Dean and saw how worn out his big brother looked. Dean had dark circles under his eyes and he looked as if he'd aged a bit in the past couple of weeks, sighing, Sam realized he'd have to keep his fears to himself. "I'm just not hungry Dean, I'll eat later okay, I promise." Sam said with a pleading tone in his voice.

"Okay Sammy, okay." Dean relented not possessing the energy to get into a battle of wills with his brother at the moment.

Sam was glad Dean let the issue go and closed his eyes, not really wanting to have a conversation or interact with anybody right now but not wanting to be totally alone either. He felt something soft brush his arm and glanced to his side noticing for the first time the stuffed animal sitting beside him. He turned to look at Dean.

Seeing the questioning look on his brother's face, Dean smiled. "Rachel dropped it off for you the other day. I think she thought you could use a little reminder of home right now. The balloon's from Mike." He added.

Sam looked into the corner and nodded at the partially deflated balloon resting next to the new and tightly stretched helium one. "They were here?" He asked sounding a bit surprised. And he was surprised, especially that Rachel had stopped by. He had thought that since she now knew how disgusting and slutty her boyfriend's brother was, she'd surely hit the road. He wasn't sure what it meant that she hadn't run away screaming and let his mind drift away from that topic, he didn't really want to consider how people felt about him right now. All he knew was that he felt used, humiliated, and degraded all over again and he was barely handling that.

Dean nodded seeing the faraway look on his brother's face. He didn't want to know where Sam's head was at right now and he didn't trust his brother's self esteem issues to think it was anyplace good. "Sean too." Dean continued hoping that at least if Sam heard his voice, it would be something else for his brother to concentrate on.

"They didn't have to come… at least not to see me." Sam said quietly.

"Sammy, they're your friends too kiddo… they care about you just as much as they care about me." Dean said snagging the back of the hospital chair and placing it next to Sam's bedside before plopping down in the plastic piece of furniture. "They wanted to come." Seeing the sad look on his brother's face and the disbelief in his eyes, Dean continued. "And I know James and Kate are asking about you."

Sam looked up for a minute, a mix of surprise and fear on his face. "Why, so they can figure out how much to pay me?" He asked cynically and remembering when Zack and Ryan had asked his friends that very question. Zack and Ryan… they were probably having a field day with this, Sam the little slut, and he was glad they were no longer at his school. That had to be something good, right?

"No," Dean said starting to get frustrated. He hated that the jackasses had returned his semi-confidant brother to this timid and scared mindset, the same exact mindset that Dean had worked so hard to get him out of. "They wanted to know if you were okay or not, I think it's safe to say that you really scared them."

Before Sam could ask why, there was a knock on the door and Sam's appearance completely changed. He went from argumentative to shy and fearful in less than ten seconds flat.

Dean saw the change in Sam's behavior and sighed, not surprised by it. He had been a little surprised that Sam hadn't clammed up before, even if it was only the two of them. "I'm here kid," He reassured softly before calling for whoever it was to come in.

A minute later Mara walked into the room but stayed away from the bed, not wanting to overwhelm her patient. She sighed inwardly when she saw that only Dean's food tray had been touched and barely at that.

Sam stiffened when she entered the room, unsure what she expected from him. Dean saw his brother's reaction and was glad for the hospital's visiting policy. The only people allowed in Sam's room were the three friends Dean had approved, the police, herself, and Dr. Wayne. The thought was that Sam might be able to relax and therefore heal a little faster if he didn't have strangers coming in and out of his room constantly. Plus what had happened down at the diner had made the evening news and they were currently trying to prevent any nosy reporters from sneaking into Sam and Dean's room.

Dean gave Mara a smile and stood up, gently cupping Sam's face in his hand. He felt Sam lean into the touch and relaxed a little. "Sammy, do you remember Mara… she's your nurse?" Dean asked.

Sam gave a small nod.

_Good_ Dean thought. If Sam remembered that she was there to help and take care of him, he might have a better reaction to her. "What's up?" Dean asked turning back to the young woman.

"I just wanted to let you guys know that Sam will probably have his chest tube removed sometime later today but first Dr. Wayne wants him to get an x-ray, just to make sure everything looks good." She explained.

Keeping an eye on Sam, Dean asked, "Do you know when that'll be?"

Mara smiled. "An orderly will come within the hour and don't worry Sam, Dean can go with you okay."

Sam looked a little relieved and let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

~DW/SW~

Dean was standing beside the x-ray technician while Sam got his scans. He'd walked with his brother as far as the exam room and Sam had seemed to be doing okay, tense but okay. Unfortunately, that all changed the minute Dean stepped away from Sam's bed side and he had ended up having to be sedated for it. His breathing became labored and it was obvious he wasn't going to calm down enough to be conscious during the test. Dean had not been happy. "What do you think, can he get it removed?" Dean asked knowing that the sooner Sam was disconnected, the sooner he'd get to take the kid home.

Dr. Wayne nodded. "The thing is Dean he needs to be conscious for it to be removed so we'll do it once the sedation wears off. We'll explain every bit of the procedure and exactly what we're going to do beforehand, let him practice a bit… hopefully that'll help make him a bit less nervous. I'll also order a dose of morphine which will lessen the amount of pain he'll experience."

Dean bit his lip and nodded hating the fact that once again, his brother would be in some amount of pain. "Is it going to take long?" He asked as the scan was concluded and they walked into the room.

"No, we usually try to keep chest tube removals as short as possible, less time for any air to enter the cavity." She explained.

Dean leaned over the bed rail and placed the stuffed dog back by Sam's side wishing there was a way to get the real one in to see Sam. He knew Ace had a good calming effect on his brother and decided to ask either Dr. Wayne or Mara about it later.

~DW/SW~

Half an hour after they'd returned to Sam's room, the sedative had worn off and it was now time to do the procedure. Dean felt nervous at the prospect of the removal, he hadn't been able to get his brother to calm down before and wasn't sure he'd be able to do it this time around either. Sighing, he stood and walked over to Sam's bedside gently placing his hand on Sam's shoulder, retracting it immediately when he felt Sam flinch. _Fuck, not a good start_ he cursed. Shaking off the hurt feeling, he continued. _Maybe he just has to be the one to initiate the contact_ Dean hoped. "Hey Sammy, you know that x-ray you had this morning?" He asked.

Sam nodded.

"Well, good news… the doc says you can get rid of that tube now." He smiled encouragingly.

"Is… is it going to hurt?" Sam asked fearfully.

"Dr. Wayne says it'll be more uncomfortable than painful, they'll give you some of the good stuff so you hopefully won't feel it as much." Dean explained.

Sam nodded again. "Can you stay?" He asked.

"Yup, I'll be right here 'kay?" He smiled and then Dr. Wayne and Mara walked in to the room.

They both stopped at the end of Dean's bed, a few feet away from Sam unsure what his reaction would be to them this time around. "Hi Sam, how do you feel this morning?" Dr. Wayne asked.

Sam stared at his blankets and whispered, "Okay."

_Please don't _flinch Dean prayed as he reached over and gently slipped his hand into Sam's. Sam looked up at Dean for a moment, a shy and grateful look on his face before he returned to studying his feet.

"So, are you ready to get rid of that thing?" Dr. Wayne asked with a friendly smile and Dean really appreciated the effort she and everyone else were making to move at Sam's pace. He knew rushing the kid was never a good thing, but especially so with everything that had happened down at the diner.

"Dea… Dean said it won't hurt, not really." He said in a quiet tone of voice. Dean's heart broke at the fear radiating off his brother, it seemed like such a long time ago when Sam had looked that small and vulnerable to him.

"It might hurt a little bit but we'll do our best to keep your pain to a minimum." She answered honestly. "So, the first thing I'm going to do is explain it, then Mara's going to give you some morphine and then we'll get started okay?"

Sam nodded looking at Dean.

"It'll be okay." He reassured, laying his other hand on top of Sam's head. Sam closed his eyes and tried to relax as he felt Dean thread his fingers through his hair. He was terrified at the thought of having someone be that close to him but he knew there was unfortunately no way around it, not unless he wanted to live the rest of his life attached to the rather annoying tube in his side.

Dr. Wayne moved closer to the bed at Sam's nod. Dean noticed how his brother seemed to shrink away from her and gently squeezed Sam's hand silently offering him comfort. "Sam, I want to teach you something that'll make this a lot easier for you okay?"

"What… what is it?" He asked surprising Dean, he had expected his brother to be a bit of a mime when anyone else was present. Either way, he took it as a good sign and hoped it meant that maybe Sam hadn't been as traumatized as he'd originally thought.

"It's a breathing technique; it's called the Valsalva's maneuver. I want you to take a really deep breath for me and then hold it while bearing down, do you want to try it a couple of times first?" She asked. "It's to make sure extra air doesn't get trapped inside your chest when we pull the tube out."

"O… okay." Knowing everyone's eyes were on him, Sam blinked back tears and took a breath doing exactly as Dr. Wayne had told him to. He let it out slowly and repeated it two more times.

"Okay, good job Sam." Dr. Wayne said when she felt that Sam was ready. "Mara and I will be right back guys." She gave him a dose of the morphine and Dean leaned down softly brushing Sam's bangs away.

"You'll sleep a lot more comfortably without that thing poking you hunh?" He said, trying to keep his brother's spirits up and his mind off of what was about to happen.

Sam nodded. "I'm glad you're here… I think it would be a lot scarier without you." Sam whispered looking up at his big brother, tears shining in his eyes.

Dean smiled softly. "I'm always here, you know that." He said wiping his thumb over Sam's cheeks and he felt his heart lift a little his brother's words, Sam had said he was glad Dean was there! He couldn't hate him if he was glad to have him there.

The brothers stared at each other in silence for the next few minutes, both just glad to have the other one to lean on.

Mara and Dr. Wayne returned a moment later, ready to get started. After getting Sam into the correct position, Mara placed a disposable pad underneath him to catch any drainage or fluid from the tube. Dr. Wayne looked at Sam. "How's the pain Sam, do you think you're ready to start yet?" She asked.

Sam nodded but Dean could feel the fine tremor running through him as his brother clung tightly to his hand. His hand felt numb and he doubted he'd be able to move his fingers afterwards but he didn't care, not if it helped make this a little easier for his brother.

"Okay, I'm going to start now alright Sam." Mara gave Sam a sweet smile and gently began to peel back the medical tape holding the tube in place. Sam tried hard not to flinch at the feel of another person's hands on him but in the end, he had to turn away. He screwed his eyes shut, trying to force back the tears.

Dean leaned further down, glad his stitches had been removed, and gently nuzzled Sam's cheek with his feeling his cheek become wet with Sam's tears. "Shh, Sammy, shh… there's nothing to be scared of, no one here is going to hurt you okay? Hush now little brother, it's okay." He cooed gently swiping a thumb over Sam's cheek.

Dr. Wayne was glad for the distraction Dean was providing as Mara continued to cut the stitches surrounding the tube, feeling it loosen a little. Mara clamped the tube shut and instructed Sam to take a breath, just like they'd practiced.

"You can do this Sammy. Just take a big deep breath, like you're going underwater." Dean coached. Sam did and with a forceful breath, the tube was expelled. Mara quickly handed the tube to Dr. Wayne and then covered Sam's side with an airtight bandage before throwing away the used supplies.

Dean leaned down and smiled. "See, much more comfortable now hunh?" He asked.

Sam nodded, albeit shakily.

Dr. Wayne checked Sam's vitals and gave them the all clear when it appeared Sam's breathing was fine and the room emptied out again to just Sam and Dean. "You gonna be okay for a minute, I gotta go take a leak?" Dean asked several minutes later, not really wanting to leave his brother alone but he couldn't exactly ignore the fact that his bladder was full. "I'll leave the door open, alright?"

Sam nodded but he didn't look totally confident.

Dean smiled reassuringly. "I'll be right back." He said and then got up to make his way to the small bathroom.

~DW/SW~

Sean set the stack of order forms down on the desk and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose trying to stave off a headache. He'd been happy to hear that Dean would probably be discharged in the next day or so and Sam was slowly yet steadily making improvements but still, he wished they hadn't needed to go to the hospital in the first place. _Please no costumers right now_ he silently pleaded when he heard the bell ring. They'd had the normal amount of costumers that they usually got and there had been well-wishes from everyone offering their sympathy but he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. He was sure he'd deck the first person who gave either Sam or Dean trouble for what had happened at the diner. He looked up only to find James standing in the doorway. "Why aren't you at school?" Sean asked.

"I ditched." James replied simply walking towards his brother in-law.

"James…" James cut him off.

"I can't be at school right now, they've got grief and trauma counselors there to 'talk' to us but I don't want to talk to them. I want to talk to Sam, please Sean… he's… he's my best friend, I gotta see him." James pleaded.

"I don't think he's really up to seeing anybody right now James." Sean said moving the stack of papers out of the way and leaning forward on his elbows.

"Is he okay?" James asked sounding a bit nervous.

"He…" Sean grimaced and shook his head. "No, he's not okay but he will be, Dean's there with him and he just needs some time. I mean, James, this is… Sam didn't ever want anybody to know about what happened… ever and now he's just gone through it again, only this time with an audience."

"So then it is true… what everybody's saying? Sam really did do that stuff?" He asked.

Sean sighed. "James, there's a lot you don't know and don't understand but just know that none of what happened both at the diner and in Sam's past, none of it was anything that he could control. His entire life, he's had no one to turn too, the jackasses at the diner were a big part of that. Don't turn your back on him too James, not because of this."

James nodded chewing his lip. "I won't." He said. It might take a while for him to adjust to the fact that his best friend had at one point been a sex-slave and he realized that this definitely changed their relationship but in what way he wasn't sure. "How… when did you find out?" He asked.

"Not too long after I started working here but James, think about it? Does this really change the way you feel about him, does… does being raped make him a bad person or a bad friend?" Sean asked.

James sighed. "No… I guess not."

"Good, it shouldn't." Sean said. "C'mon, I'll give you a lift back."

James nodded and grabbed his backpack.

~DW/SW~

Sam watched Dean walk away and sank back against the pillows trying hard to blink back the tears. He felt as if everything he'd done over the past year, the therapy and the trial, running away and breaking his silence… as if all of it had been for nothing, as if all his hard work had been thrown back in his face and he didn't know if he could do it again because this time, there would be no second chances, no fresh starts. Everyone knew his secret and surely they would hold it against him. The thought of James and Kate knowing the things he'd done and blaming him was too much and he lost the battle against his tears. Sam brought his uncasted hand up to his face and began to cry harsh, gut-wrenching sobs.

Dean had been washing his hands when he heard his brother's sobs come through the door. "No Sammy," He whispered as he quickly toweled off his hands and hurried into the room. "Sammy, hey, hey, what is it? What's wrong?" Dean asked placing his arms around his brother. "Sammy, look at me please kiddo."

Sam sniffled. He didn't want to look at Dean, he didn't want to see the pity or shame he knew resided there. He'd failed Dean, his brother had worked so hard to help him see that his life could be more than getting down on his knees to blow some random or spread his legs for anyone who walked by and now Sam wasn't so sure he completely believed that because he'd tried to be normal, tried to look past the whore he saw in the mirror but no, life had decided that being a quiet, average high-school student was asking too much and had revealed his deepest, darkest, most private secret for everyone to know and he began to sob harder making it hard to breathe.

Suddenly, he felt incredibly dirty as he remembered what it had felt like when Elias's finger had pushed its way up into him. "Don't touch me!" Sam ordered. "Please?" He added softly as he scrambled backwards on the bed.

Dean felt like he'd been burned when his brother suddenly rejected his comfort but allowed Sam the space he needed and clearly wanted. "I'm sorry." He murmured quietly before getting off the bed and returning to his own.

Sam didn't answer. He couldn't curl his knees to his chest like he wanted because of the stitches in his stomach but instead he folded them underneath himself and stared straight ahead, tears wetting his cheeks.

Dean stared at his brother, he wanted so badly to wrap Sam up in his arms and keep him safe but it was obvious his brother didn't want to be near him right now. Not that he could blame him but it still hurt. _You expected this remember, of course he's angry! He was just assaulted in public… no, stop it! He doesn't blame you not really, remember he said he was glad you were there… he can't hate you if he wants you there_ Dean argued with himself.

~DW/SW~

The next time Dean woke, he wasn't quite sure when he'd fallen asleep, he looked across the room to find Sam lying on his side, the stuffed dog clutched tightly to his chest. "Oh Sammy," Dean sighed as he watched Sam sleep. Dean reached to the side of the bed and hit the call button. A moment later, Mara entered the room. "What is it?" She asked, only for Dean to make a shushing notion.

"His dog is ah, is there a way we could get his dog Ace in for a visit?" Dean asked quietly. Normally, he'd take this conversation outside but he really didn't want Sam to wake up alone. "Ace is Sam's best friend and I think it would do the kid some good to see him." He said remembering how the pup had put a smile on Sam's face after he'd had to look at mug-shots trying to find his abusers. He hoped Ace could still work that same magic.

Mara nodded. "We could probably work something out, let me talk to Dr. Wayne and the floor supervisor and then I'll get back to you." She answered.

"Okay, thanks." Dean smiled appreciatively.

"Not a problem, is there anything else you need?" She asked.

Dean shook his head. "No, thanks." He replied and Mara left, quietly closing the door behind her. "Who knows kid, maybe Ace'll put a smile on your face hunh?" Dean said softly as he watched Sam roll over and bury his face against the stuffed animal's fur.

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Hey! So, I hope you liked the chapter and thanks for reading! Please let me know what you thought and I will try to update a bit faster next time. Thanks again! :)


	19. Chapter 19

Hey guys! Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it. I don't know if I described Kate and James's reactions too well so it would be awesome if you guys could let me know what you thought of that part, especially.

I am **SO** excited about tonight's episode only four and a half more hours to go! I can't wait to see Dean in gym-shorts and acting as a P.E. teacher plus the flashbacks... it's gonna totally rock! On another, sadder note, I would like to express my sympathy for Kim Manner's family and friends as well as the cast and crew of Supernatural. All of you are in my thoughts and prayers, he will be sorely missed.

College starts up again on Monday so I'm not sure how much time I'll have to write, I have to see what my classes are like but I will do my best to keep you guys from waiting too long.

Thanks a lot to everyone who is reading this story and a second thank you goes out to everyone who sends me a review but either way, I hope you continue to enjoy it as I have really liked writing this story. It makes it a lot more fun when I know other people are enjoying it too so **THANK YOU** for your continued support! :)

* * *

"Thanks man, I really appreciate you bringing him down here." Dean said in a low whisper as he stood just inside their hospital room door holding tight to Ace's leash.

Mike smiled softly and shook his head. "I didn't do anything special. So, you'll call me when it's time to bring the pup home?" He asked.

Dean nodded. "I wish they would let him stay the night but I don't know if we could pull that off…" Dean answered before he glanced a look back at his brother. Sam was sitting in a moderately comfortable hospital chair, staring blankly out the window just as he had been for the past half an hour. He had a faraway look on his face and Dean knew he needed to snap Sam out of whatever he was thinking as soon as possible.

Mike followed Dean's gaze and decided he needed to get out of the way. "I'll let you go but remember, one call… I'll be here." He said seriously.

Dean nodded again. "Yeah, I know… I'll talk to you later." He said before Mike stepped back and he closed the door giving him and Sam their much needed privacy. Dean looked down at Ace and scratched him behind one of his ears. "I really hope you can work some magic." Dean gave a slight tug on the leash and walked over to his brother.

Sam looked over when he heard Dean walking towards him accompanied by the click-clack of Ace's nails on the hospital room's linoleum floor. Dean thought he could see his brother perking up a bit when his eyes landed on the mutt._ Please let him smile_ Dean thought hoping Ace could help him prevent Sam from falling too far into his depression. Sam was back on his anti-anxiety medication and Dean had set up a meeting with Diane for the following week. He knew what had happened at the diner was a major set-back and realized that Sam's old therapist might come in handy.

Sam gingerly climbed off his chair, the bullet wound still quite a bit tender, and walked to meet Dean.

Dean paused halfway across the room, standing admittedly a bit shy in front of his brother. He still wasn't sure how Sam felt about him, especially since he had rejected Dean's attempt to comfort him a couple days ago. "I thought you might like a little visitor." Dean said softly trying to break the silence between them.

Sam nodded and held his hand out for the leash. Dean obliged and handed Ace over to Sam. Ace's tail began to wag and he licked Sam's hand repeatedly, his tail wagging, excited at seeing his owner again.

"I think he missed you." Dean continued wanting Sam to say something back to him but knowing it was unlikely. Sam had wrapped himself up in his protective little shell and rarely came out of it.

Sam nodded again not really knowing how anyone could really miss someone like him. He returned to his seat with Ace's head resting on his thigh. He sat staring out the window wondering what his life would be like now that his secret had been exposed. He was scared to return to school, his classmates had already judged him earlier in the year when they'd seen his scars and now that they knew the truth, he was sure it would only get worse. And he wouldn't blame James or Kate, or anyone for that matter, if they ignored him now. It was one thing standing up for someone who just wasn't physically talented, he couldn't ask them to stick by what he was sure was now the school's slut. Why should their reputations be tarnished simply because they knew him? No, he would be fine sitting by himself; after all, it wouldn't be the first time Sam thought resigning himself to his lonely decision. Sam was slightly startled when he felt Dean's thumb brush over his cheek, gently taking the tears Sam hadn't even known he'd been crying with it.

"Sammy," Dean sighed sadly. He'd watched Sam return to his seat and begin to stroke the top of Ace's head. He smiled at the interaction between the two but a frown quickly appeared on his face when he saw the faraway look return a couple minutes later. He could tell Sam was thinking and he would bet the Impala that it wasn't anything good. His thoughts were confirmed when he saw the tears begin to roll down his brother's cheeks at pretty steady intervals. Not able to stand by and watch as some unspoken fear tormented his brother, Dean immediately hurried to him. "What is it? What's wrong?" Dean asked kneeling down beside Sam and keeping his hand on his brother's face gently stroking his cheek.

_Where do I start? _He silently asked himself. Sam bit his lip and turned away from Dean, his hand fisting in Ace's fur.

"Sammy, please look at me kiddo." Dean begged. He was breaking inside; it was killing him watching his brother torture himself like this and refusing any comfort or reassurance.

Sam shook his head and more tears escaped.

Dean saw his brother's reluctance to talk about what was bothering him and counted silently to ten, trying to keep a hold on his frustration at their lack of communication. "Why not?" Dean asked hoping Sam would give him some clue as to what was going on inside his stubborn skull. "It's just me Sam, it's just me… just your big brother Dean." He tried hoping that Sam would realize it was still okay to talk about his fears and worries in front of Dean, that he wouldn't be thought of badly for having them.

"I'm scared," Sam whispered several long minutes later.

That Dean could totally understand. After the life he'd led and the recent events at the diner, Dean had figured Sam would be scared. No matter how much Dean wanted to take that feeling away and make sure Sam never feared another thing or person for as long as he lived but he also knew that wasn't a realistic option or hope. "Hey, hey, it's okay to be scared Sammy… it is." _I'm scared too_ "But you're safe here, you are and no one you don't want to see is going to be near you okay? I won't let them." Dean reassured. "I… I promise." _Can I be promising things still?_ Dean silently thought questioning his ability to keep Sam safe.

Sam shook his head. While he was glad, very glad Dean had made sure that not many people could come into his room, that wasn't what had him scared at the moment and he didn't want to say it in fear of making it true even though it probably already was.

Dean sighed and tried again. "What is it Sammy? What's scaring you so badly you can't even look at me?" Dean asked with concern heavy in his voice and maybe a little desperation as well.

"Are you mad at me?" Sam asked sounding rather terrified of the answer and still avoiding Dean's gaze.

"What?" Dean asked shocked. _Why the hell would I be mad at him?_ He asked himself completely confused by Sam's question.

"You… you tried so hard to make me a better person… to make me see differently and I know I disappointed you and I'm sorry Dean… I didn't want to do those things but…" Dean cut Sam off.

"Sammy, I'm not disappointed in you, not at all." Dean said and Sam could hear the conviction in his brother's voice and was confused by it. Dean had seen him on his knees, seen him with his pants around his ankles… after all the hard work they'd put in, surely Dean would be angry that Sam had thrown all their progress away. "This… what happened at the diner, it wasn't your fault Sammy, it wasn't… any of it, you got that?" Dean asked growling internally. He really wished he could raise Elias from the dead and beat him to death with his own fists for what he'd done to Sam and what he'd taken away from the kid… again! "And Sammy, I know you didn't want to do any of what he forced you to… I know that." _But I don't think you know that_ Dean thought hoping Sam would realize he hadn't asked for or done anything to provoke the kind of attention he had received.

Sam shook his head, confusion and doubt clear in his sad hazel eyes. "But… but I almost gave him a blowjob… I mean, I was on my knees Dean…" Sam began to sob and Dean gently turned his brother's chair so that Sam was facing him.

"You fought so hard Sam, I'm so proud of you." Dean started to say, a small smile on his face. He wanted Sam to know that he was telling him the truth about this. "You told him no, you stood up for yourself… hell, you even got a punch in. Sammy…" He sighed. _How the hell do I get him to see I'm not mad?_ "I felt a lot of things that day but I can promise you on my parent's graves Sam, I promise you that disappointment wasn't one of them."

Sam looked up through his bangs and searched Dean's eyes for any sign that he was lying only to find love, concern, and a bit of fear in Dean's green eyes. Sam's shoulders slumped and he went back to studying the back of Ace's head. "I tried so hard Dean, I did… I tried…" _And it wasn't enough_ went left unspoken.

"Sammy, come here." Dean said pulling Sam out of the chair and into his lap. Sam turned his face to the side and buried his cheek in Dean's collar bone, trembles working their way through his body. Dean could feel his brother shaking and began to rock him a bit. "I am so, so proud of you Sam. I mean it, you're amazing and I can't believe I get to call you my little brother." He pressed a kiss to the side of Sam's head and prayed Sam would believe him.

Sam looked up again and found himself clutching Dean's shirt, the way he used to when his nightmares had been numerous and intense enough to make him smell whiskey and feel finger tips. He shuddered and tried to concentrate on the soft, loving touches Dean was providing him instead. "Hold me?" He pleaded in a sad and broken whisper.

Dean nodded, tightening his arms around Sam's middle but still being careful of the wound there. "I've got you, I've always got you." Dean whispered back continuing with his rocking as he felt the collar of his shirt become wet.

~DW/SW~

"I bet you're glad to be getting out of here, hunh?" Mara smiled softly as she walked into the room and handed Dean Sam's discharge papers and a bag with painkillers and antibiotics in it.

"Thanks," He replied taking the items and stuffing them in his bag. Dean was glad that she had been assigned Sam's nurse from the start and was very appreciative of everything she had done for them, especially Sam. Mara was kind and sympathetic without being patronizing and she also knew when to back off. Plus, she had been the one to persuade the floor nurse that it would be alright if Ace spent the night at the hospital which Dean was very grateful for. Together, he and Ace had created a fort of sorts when Sam had woken up during the night screaming and pleading, trapped in a nightmare from hell. Dean had immediately scrambled out of his bed and woken his brother before climbing into the bed with Sam holding him close as Sam whimpered and cried himself back to sleep, tucked against his big brother's side. Ace had curled up on Sam's other side, essentially creating a solid barrier around him.

Dean shot his brother a warm and encouraging smile hoping that going home would be another thing that would help Sam continue to heal from his most recent traumatic experience. Ace's magic had worked, at least for the time being and Dean had gotten the smile he'd been hoping for. Sam had smiled a little the other morning when Ace had jumped up and began licking Sam's face getting him covered in dog-slobber. Dean was happy they'd been able to convince the floor supervisor, Kathy, that Ace was the extra bit of medicine his brother needed.

Sam shrugged in answer to Mara's question and laid his head on Ace's strong shoulder. He did want to go home, he wanted to go home very badly but he was also scared of leaving his hospital room. There, he was protected, not only by Dean and Ace but by security guards and hospital policy where people who didn't have permission couldn't enter his world. There, everything and everyone had to follow strict protocol and he knew that those same rules didn't apply to the outside world and he felt like he was about to be thrown to a starving pack of wolves. "Hunh?" He startled a bit when he realized Dean was kneeling in front of him and calling his name.

Dean smiled a little and stood once he had Sam's attention. "Your chariot awaits." He said gesturing to the hospital-mandated wheelchair. He knew Sam would be nervous about leaving the confines of his hospital room and tried to keep his tone light and reassuring.

"Oh right…" Sam said shaking his head and slowly climbing off the bed to sit in the chair. It was as if Ace could sense how anxious his owner was and was at Sam's side in an instant. Sam draped his uncasted hand over the arm rest on the chair and scratched Ace behind the ears, trying to keep his breathing under control and the tears hidden while he clutched the stuffed dog in his other.

Dean saw his brother's struggle and gave Sam's shoulder a squeeze in encouragement. "You ready to go home now?" He asked softly.

After a couple minutes Sam nodded. "Yeah." Sam said quietly and Dean had the feeling that Sam had said that simply because he knew he didn't have a choice.

Dean smiled anyway. "Alright then, let's go home." Dean took Sam's bag and placed it over his shoulder as his own bag was resting on the back of the wheelchair. Dean took the handles of Sam's wheelchair and began pushing him towards the exit with Ace walking alongside them. Mara followed carrying the gifts Sam and Dean had received during their time at the hospital.

Sam put his head back and closed his eyes trying to focus on just him, Dean, and Ace and blocking everyone else out. There was no one else there in the halls, no one who had watched the evening news and surely knew _**he**_ was that poor kid who had been assaulted in public. No, when he closed his eyes, those accusations and realities didn't exist.

Dean saw his brother close his eyes and knew instantly what Sam was doing. Sam was trying to hide away from the world, from the stares and whispers he feared would come his way and if that helped to make the trip home a little easier then it was fine by him if Sam wanted to hide for a little while but there was no reason why his brother had to hide alone. Dean gently placed his hand on Sam's shoulder and kneaded the tense muscles there.

Sam kept his eyes closed but rolled his head a bit so it was resting against Dean's hand. He needed Dean, he needed the support his brother offered so freely and tried to soak up as much of it as he could.

Not too much later, Sam realized they'd come to a stop and when he opened his eyes, he saw the Impala sitting in front of him. "Hey… where do you want to sit, front or back?" Dean asked as he shut the trunk having deposited Sam's and his bags in there as well as the gifts.

"Shotgun." Sam answered in a quiet voice.

Dean nodded and smiled, glad Sam had chosen to sit there. After nearly losing him, Dean needed Sam to be close. He opened the back door and Ace jumped in, quickly curling up to lie on the seat. "Careful now, alright." Dean said as he helped Sam out of the chair and into the front passenger seat.

Sam nodded and sank back into the leather. Dean smiled as he buckled Sam in, making sure there was a bit of room between Sam's stomach and the seatbelt. He paused as he was leaning back out of the car and pressed a quick kiss to Sam's forehead grateful that Sam didn't pull away from his touch.

Sam opened his eyes for a moment and the slightest of smiles appeared on his face.

Dean smiled back at his brother and then quickly shut Sam's door before making his way to the driver's side. He waved goodbye to Mara and then climbed in, starting the Impala up.

~DW/SW~

Dean helped his brother into the house and then quickly went back out to the car to retrieve their bags and the gifts from the well-wishers. While Dean was glad they were home, he knew that being home also brought its own set of challenges. Now that they were back and Sam was no longer restricted to hospital visiting hours, he had the feeling that Sam's friends might come calling and he wasn't sure how Sam would react to them. Sighing, he closed and locked the trunk and headed back inside.

He was stopped in his tracks when he saw Sam trembling and standing by the answering machine. _Shit, what now?_ Dean asked himself as he looked around the room to ensure that he, Sam, and Ace were its only occupants. He let out a relieved breath when he didn't see anything out of place or anything alarming. "Sammy, who was that?" Dean asked worriedly as he hurried over to his brother. He saw the blinking red light indicating there was a message and seeing that hearing it only once had already made his brother this stressed out, he wasn't sure he should play it again.

"What do I do?" Sam asked sounding very nervous and shooting Dean a quick look. "What do I say?"

"Say to who? Sammy, who called us?" Dean asked. _Please, please, please don't let it be another one of __**them**_ Dean prayed. He didn't think either one of them could go through that again, especially not so soon.

Sam stared as if he was transfixed by the light and answered in a quiet voice. "J… James… he called, what do I say?" Sam asked and Dean was starting to get a better picture of what was going on now.

"Well, what did James say to you?" Dean asked. When he saw that Sam wasn't going to tell him, he went ahead and pressed play on the answering machine.

"… Hey Sam, it's me James," There was a pause. "Hi Sam!" A girl's voice shouted and Dean realized it was Kate. James came back on the line and the message continued. "… Sean said you guys were coming home today. I… ah, we just wanted to call and say 'hi'… we should hang out again soon. Call me okay, if not we'll see you at school then. Talk to you later dude. Bye." And then the message ended. Dean turned around and saw Sam sitting on the couch with his head in his hands.

He sighed and walked over gently squeezing the back of Sam's neck as he took a seat beside him. "That was nice of them." Dean said, trying to assure his brother that the message wasn't anything bad.

Sam nodded. "I… I know that… I'm just scared Dean… I mean, what the hell am I supposed to say to him? Or to Kate, or anybody for that matter? They know Dean, they all know and I don't know what to do." He pleaded. _Kate…_ tears filled Sam's eyes as he thought about the girl he had a crush on and who now surely wanted nothing to do with him.

Dean sighed and put an arm around Sam's shoulders, gently tugging him closer. "It sounds like they want to see you." He encouraged.

Sam shook his head. "I… I can't Dean, I can't."

"Why not?" He asked.

"What if they ask? What am I supposed to say to them…? I mean, I… I don't want to tell them but they know and… and I never wanted them to know Dean. I never wanted anyone to know! It was supposed to be a secret, my secret! Why couldn't it have stayed that way?" Sam asked as he became quiet again and started to sob. "I don't want them to know."

Dean wrapped his arms firmly around Sam, holding his brother close against his chest. "I don't know Sammy… I don't know but you know what I do know?" He asked tilting his head a little and resting it against Sam's.

Sam shook his head.

"I think it's safe to say that they still want to be your friends and they still care about you." He explained.

Sam let out a muffled sob, there was no way his friends could know about what happened and still want to be around him, let alone hang out with him… right?

Dean sighed, realizing Sam wasn't buying what he was selling and just tightened his grip on the kid shushing him quietly. The message James and Kate had left had been sweet, he thought. He was glad his brother had people his own age who were willing to check up on him and just hang out with him… he just wasn't so sure how he was going to make Sam see that they still wanted him as a part of their group. Dean bent his head and kissed the top of Sam's. "Do you remember when we came home from the doctor's that one day and your friends were waiting in the drive?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded and wiped his eyes. He had been so panicked to see them there that he hadn't wanted to get out of the car.

"Remember how scared you were, that they'd come to yell at you?" He continued. "You thought they hated you."

Sam nodded again. He'd been sure that the video Zack and Ryan had played had turned his only friends against him.

"What was it that they really wanted?" Dean asked and waited for Sam to answer.

Sam took a deep breath as he continued to rest his head on Dean's chest. "To hang out." He replied quietly.

Dean nodded this time. "And were they mad at you like you thought they would be?" He asked gently running a hand down his brother's back. He wanted Sam to realize that there were people out there who didn't care about what had happened in his past, who would be able to see past that and who would want to be a part of his life.

Sam shook his head. "But… but that's different Dean." Sam argued.

"How?" Dean asked.

"Because… because before it was just scars, scars that I could have gotten a number of ways and I was still able to keep the truth from them but now they know how I really got them and what if they've decided that it's too much… that I come with too much baggage… that I'm not worth the trouble?" He asked as tears refilled his eyes.

"Sammy," Dean sighed. _Please don't sell yourself short kid, please._ "You won't know how they feel unless you talk to them Sam. Kiddo, I know you're scared to face them but you're going to have to sooner or later and I think you'll be happy when you do. Hmm… you were scared to go hang out with them after your doctor's appointment but you came home looking happier than you had been in a while so just remember that Sam, every other time you've thought they were going to stab you in the back, they proved you wrong… there's no reason for that to change now. And you are worth getting to know and I think they've realized that." Dean said trying to give his brother some good memories and a bit of confidence to hold on to. Dean bent his head and kissed Sam's again as he closed his eyes, feeling tears fill them. It hurt him to hear his brother worry and degrade himself so much and he wished he could wipe Sam's fears away as easily as he could wipe away his tears. "Please Sammy, don't be afraid to live your life." He whispered.

Sam nodded. Deep down he knew Dean was right but he was so scared of what they thought of him that it made him want to just stay with Dean, stay with someone who knew what had happened but didn't treat him differently or badly for it. He liked the predictably of Dean's attitude towards him way better than hoping that his friends still liked him. The uncertainty of their reactions scared him the most and he snuggled deeper against his brother.

~DW/SW~

James, Kate, Andy, and Bobby all sat at 'their' lunch table glaring at the fellow student population. There were a number of rumors floating around the school, everybody trying to figure out what the 'real' story was. Of course, all it boiled down to was that Sam, the shy quiet kid in the corner, had been assaulted and beaten by someone he apparently knew at the diner. A lot of the teachers had held discussions in their classes trying to help their students understand what had happened and how to handle it without disrespecting Sam or his privacy. James had been quite vocal during the discussions in his classes, telling anyone who dared to think differently that until they actually talked to Sam or someone who had been there to keep their yapping mouths shut because they didn't know the half of it. He didn't know either really but he wasn't one of the ones concocting details that he knew would break his best friend's heart and the four of them along with Mike and several other teachers did their best to sort the rumors from the truth without giving away too many details.

The four of them could understand being curious, as they were, and yeah, maybe it would be a bit awkward but when wasn't being with Sam awkward. That was just the way he was and once you learned to get over that, Sam could actually be a pretty fun guy to be around or at least they thought so. "So, he hasn't called you back yet?" Andy asked as he looked around the cafeteria.

James shook his head. "No." He wasn't all that surprised that Sam hadn't called him back. "I really want to see him but Sean said that just dropping by isn't a good idea right now. He said Sam needs time so I guess that's what we've got to give him." In reality, James didn't know what he was doing or how to handle this information. He was a seventeen year old high school student who would much rather hang out with friends than do school work and the thought that someone he knew would be abused the way Sam had hadn't really ever occurred to him.

"Do you think he'll come back?" Kate asked the group a couple minutes later. She was worried that what happened at the diner along with Sam's shy personality and the buzz of rumors floating around school, it might have been too much for him and he'd rather duck-out and go somewhere else. Kate really hoped he wouldn't leave their school. She enjoyed having him as a friend and lab partner because Sam was hard working and kind and always tried to do his best but he was also fun as long as he felt comfortable and plus, he was pretty cute especially with those dimples. Kate had cried herself to sleep when she'd found out that Sam had been the one in the diner, the number and severity of injuries the news caster had listed off and the police video of the swat team surrounding the building had scared and worried her. She could only imagine what Sam had felt to actually have been caught in the middle of it.

Bobby shrugged. "He was so shy before… I don't know how he'd be now." He answered.

"I want him to come back." She said absently. "I miss him."

Everyone at the table nodded in agreement with her.

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Hey, so I hope you enjoyed that. Like I said, not too sure about the reactions of Sammy's classmates so any kind of feedback on that would be great. Thanks a lot for reading and I hope you'll drop me a note. I'll try to update as soon as possible, thanks again! :)


	20. Chapter 20

Hey guys, sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. It was really hard to write and I personally hate this chapter and think it's pretty sucky, at least Sam and Dean's conversation. It doesn't feel quite right but I've worked the thing to death so I'm just going to leave it how it is.

Thanks for waiting so patiently! Even though I'm not too wild about this chapter, I hope you still enjoy it and please feel free to leave me a review telling me what you thought. All your comments are much appreciated and I will try to update soon, I think the next chapter is going to be a LOT easier to write... let's hope so anyways. Thanks again for reading! :)

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Dean woke up with a start, panting and sweating as he tried to come all the way out of his nightmare. It was the same one he'd had for the past four days and he wasn't sure how much more of it he could take. He had dreamed that they were back in the diner but instead of Elias just using his finger to torture his brother, he had bent Sam over one of the dining tables and fucked him raw, repeatedly, then it was Ronnie's turn. Dean felt the burn of bile in the back of his throat and gently extricated himself from behind his brother and ran to the bathroom, emptying his stomach of the meager grill cheese sandwich he'd been able to eat for dinner earlier that evening.

Kneeling on the tile floor and sighing tiredly, he wiped a hand over his mouth and rested his forehead against the porcelain bowl. _Why can't I forget it?_ Dean asked himself as tears sprung to his eyes. What had actually happened was bad enough, he didn't want to imagine how much worse it could have gotten, how much worse the damage could have been. The look on Sam's face throughout the entire ordeal had been the absolutely most heart breaking thing he had ever seen and he wished that he could wipe it from his memory. _If you want to forget it, how do you think Sam feels?_ Dean sighed again and stood hoping Sam hadn't woken up during the time he was away. Sam was incredibly clingy these days, not that Dean was that surprised by it, but it meant that Sam had to keep Dean in his sight at pretty much all times. If he didn't, Sam would grow fearful and cry, begging for his brother back unable to catch his breath for several minutes afterward. Dean had learned that the hard way…

_Dean had just finished taking the garbage out when he heard a terrified scream come from inside their house, his name following it. He immediately began to run towards the house, fearful of what might be going on inside. "Sammy!" He shouted jogging through the garage and into the living room. Looking around, he spotted his brother sitting on the couch, his knees curled to his chest. He was crying, rocking back and forth mumbling something Dean couldn't quite make out. "Sammy, hey, its okay kiddo… its okay…" Dean reassured as he walked over to the couch and kneeled in front of Sam gently framing Sam's face with his palms._

_Sam looked up with fear-filled eyes and then threw himself into his brother's arms, his fingers digging into Dean's skin as he shook._

_"Hey, it's alright now." He cooed, running a hand through Sam's hair. "It was just a dream, hunh, just a dream." Sam continued to sob for several minutes afterward as Dean rocked him._

"_Y… you scared me." Sam cried, sounding absolutely terrified as his voice wasn't above a whisper._

_Dean cocked an eyebrow and gently rubbed his brother's back in soothing circles. "How?" He asked, he definitely hadn't meant to do that. "What are you scared of?" He asked, hoping Sam might say a little something about his nightmare. Dean had been trying to coax his brother into talking about them but Sam wasn't having any of it._

_"I… I wo… woke up and you weren't here… I didn't know where you were…" Sam whispered softly as he breathed in Dean's scent._

_"Aw man, I'm sorry kid." Dean apologized sincerely. "I didn't mean to scare you, I just went to put the trash out, that's all." He said explaining his whereabouts to the frightened teenager._

_Sam nodded, forcing his mind to believe that instead of the scarily possible scenario his traumatized imagination had dreamt up. He dried his eyes while still keeping one hand firmly gripped to the back of Dean's shirt. _

_After a couple minutes, Dean felt like Sam had calmed down enough and gently patted his brother's back. He stood only to find that Sam wasn't letting go. "Ah, Sammy, if you want dinner then you are going to have to let me go at some point." He gently pointed out._

_Very reluctantly, Sam let go of his hold on Dean. It took all of his will-power to not latch on again. "'M sorry." He mumbled feeling a tad bit embarrassed for his reaction._

"_Don't be." Dean reassured. He smiled and stood, tenderly placing his hand on Sam's shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. He hadn't taken two steps away from the couch when he realized that Sam was standing literally right behind him, close enough to grab him at a second's notice. Dean sighed and turned around, offering his hand to his brother who obviously needed the closeness and if he was telling the truth, he did too. The thought of being separated from the kid was not all that appealing, part of the reason why they were back to sharing a bed._

_Sam, grateful that Dean had seen what he'd needed, took his hand and squeezed it incredibly hard, as if he was afraid Dean would disappear if he were to let go. Once they made it to the kitchen, Dean gently tugged on his brother's hand, forcing Sam to look up at him. "You can let go, I'm not going anywhere." He smiled when he saw the hesitant look cross his brother's face. "You can even sit at the bar, make sure I stay where I'm supposed to." He joked._

_Sam stared at Dean for a moment, trying to decide if his brother was angry or not, when it was decided that Dean seemed okay, he let go of Dean's hand but didn't make any effort to move away from him. After another moment though, Sam nodded and took a seat on one of the barstools, his eyes following Dean's every movement…_

Dean paused in the doorway to his room and watched Sam. He was fast asleep with the stuffed animal Rachel had given to him clutched to his chest. Ace was lying protectively on top of Sam's feet and Dean thought that the scene was rather cute. If only the circumstances were different. Dean gave Sam's sleeping form a small, sad smile before walking back to the bed and quietly slipping back into place, needing to feel his brother close to him. Ace lifted his head and stared at Dean for a moment before falling back asleep. _He's okay_ Dean thought as he rested his chin on top of Sam's head. _I've still got him._ He closed his eyes and placed a hand on Sam's back, concentrating on the feel of his brother's ribs moving up and down, content enough to just lay there with the knowledge that he still had a family to belong to.

He had just started to drift off again when he heard the beginning sounds of small whimpers. Realizing that a nightmare was either on its way or already attacking his brother, Dean quickly placed a hand on Sam's cheek. He rubbed the soft skin in small circles with his thumb, catching the falling tears. "Hey Sammy, it's okay now kiddo, it's okay… you just gotta wake up for me." Dean cooed. Sam's hold on the stuffed animal loosened and unconsciously, he moved around searching for Dean's solid and familiar form which Sam knew should be there. "Sammy, c'mon man, wake up," Dean tried.

A moment later, Sam's eyes sprung open and looked around until they came to rest on Dean's face. "D… Dean?" Sam cried as he reached out and wrapped his arms tightly around Dean's middle.

Dean returned the hug, just as fierce, and nestled his face against Sam's clothed shoulder. "It's okay Sammy, you're safe here. Nothing's gonna get ya." He reassured.

Sam seemed to pay no attention to Dean's soft reassurances and clutched Dean tighter, more whimpers erupting from the back of his throat.

"You're safe." He said again and he wasn't sure who he was trying to reassure more, himself or Sam. Dean closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of his baby brother, glad that his nightmare was just that and that even though there had been damage done, Sam was still around to help fix up again. After the loss of his parents, Dean knew loosing Sam would be the one thing that threw him over the edge and he was beyond relieved that it hadn't come to that.

~DW/SW~

Sam was currently sitting on the couch, the TV was on but Dean knew Sam wasn't watching it as his brother's eyes followed him around the room, the kid could be quite observant when he wanted to be.

Even though he was dead-tired, Dean's mind was in overdrive and he needed something to distract him hence the reason why he was cleaning the house… again. His nightmares hadn't stopped and actually seemed like they were only getting worse as the acts Sam was forced to endure became more and more brutal. He looked over at where his brother was sitting and saw the dark circles under Sam's eyes and the paleness of his skin, the kid looked wrecked and Dean knew that he didn't look much better. Closing his eyes, he tried to erase the sound of his brother screaming and begging Dean for help. He was trying to not feel so guilty about what happened at the diner but it was hard to accept that it wasn't his fault. Sam was his responsibility, it was his job to make sure the kid was safe but even more than that, Sam was his world and the thought that his world had been threatened so violently under his very own eyes made him sick.

Sighing, Dean turned away from watching Sam and tried to think about what they were going to have for lunch._ Yeah, great distraction tool_ he thought. He really hoped that they had enough to last them for another little while. He didn't feel like going to the supermarket, knowing it was the town square of gossip. Besides, he certainly wasn't willing to drag his brother there, especially when he was in such a fragile state nor did he want to leave the kid alone for any length of time what so ever. After checking the fridge and realizing that someone, probably Mike, had stocked it while they were in the hospital and that they were good, he returned to the living room. He was not surprised to see Sam peering over the top of the couch, watching him. He smiled encouragingly at the kid and continued with his chores.

Looking at the pile of papers he'd gathered from his desk, Dean took a seat on the couch beside his brother, leaning back into the cushions. Sam maneuvered himself until his head was in Dean's lap and one hand was lightly clutching a section of Dean's jeans covering Dean's thigh. He turned his face up to look at his brother causing Dean to smile down at him. "You sleepy?" Dean asked knowing he was.

Sam nodded a little.

"Then go to sleep, I've got you." Dean reassured letting one hand drape across Sam's chest protectively.

A small smile lit up Sam's face and he nestled closer to Dean, the feelings of safety and protection that he always felt when his big brother was present covering him like a nice, warm blanket. He let go of Dean's pant leg and latched on to his hand instead.

~DW/SW~

_Bill, bill, bill, trash, bill_ Dean thought to himself as he made separate piles for the different documents he'd filed away and was just now getting to. _That's where this went_ Dean thought. He was surprised when he came across the Christmas card Sam had made for him during their first Christmas together. As he reread it, he felt tears sting his eyes. Sam had told him that he'd made him feel important when before he'd thought that there was no way he could ever mean something good to someone. He gazed down at Sam's face, relieved to see that he actually looked peaceful for once and prayed that his brother would be able to get a little bit of sleep without a visit from a monster.

There was one picture on the card that Dean absolutely loved. It was one he'd taken. It had been during their camping trip after Sam's attempted suicide, _no, don't think about that_ Dean thought cutting himself off from that trip down memory lane. Going back to the picture, he looked at the expression of pure joy on his brother's face as he stood on a rock in front of the waterfall they'd hiked to. That was the happiest he'd ever seen Sam and since then, camping had become somewhat of a ritual and a special, brotherly-bonding thing they did. He would kill to see his brother that happy again.

"I remember that day." Sam said in a sleep-quiet voice, startling Dean a bit. He'd thought Sam was still asleep.

"Yeah?" Dean asked intrigued, hoping his brother would be up to talking a bit.

Sam nodded his head against Dean's leg. "Yeah, I look happy don't I?" He asked and Dean thought Sam sounded a bit unsure of himself.

"Yeah, you do." He replied, gently stroking his thumb over the back of Sam's hand. "I think that was the first time I ever saw you smile, really smile… like you didn't have anything to worry about, no stress, no nothing… it was just you and me."

Sam was quiet and Dean wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. "I wanna be happy again." Sam said a couple minutes later and Dean thought it sounded like Sam was crying. "I don't want to be scared anymore Dean… I just want to be happy."

Dean placed the pile of papers, including the card, down and shifted before pulling Sam up with him. He was quiet as he thought of what to say to his brother and gently wiped the kid's tears away. "You will be Sammy, you will be," He reassured.

"How Dean? It… it feels like any time I get even close to being just a little bit happy, anytime something starts to go right… I get a reminder of… of what's happened…" He sighed sadly. "I don't need any more reminders."

"I know kiddo, believe me… I know." Dean bit his lip and contemplated telling Sam more about his not-so-good behavior after his parent's deaths and his current sleeping problems. "You remember when I told you that I used to be kind of suicidal?" Dean asked hesitantly.

Sam nodded.

"Sammy, when they died, it felt like my heart had been ripped out and then stepped on and I didn't think I'd ever be able to be happy again… I mean, sure, I had my friends but my parents, my family was gone… they were just gone. Both of my parents were only children so I didn't have any aunts or uncles, no cousins, my grandparents were all gone… all of a sudden, I was alone and even though I was a grown man when it happened, I felt like a little orphan… I felt lost and without anybody to turn to." Dean could see the tears filling his brother's eyes and felt tears fill his own eyes, trying to hold on though, he smiled softly. "You're not alone in wanting to be happy kiddo, believe me, I've been there and I know you're scared Sam, I know you are because I am too and it's okay to be scared but we're gonna get through this Sam… we will."

Sam was quiet and looked down to study his lap. It was several moments before he spoke. "You're scared?" Sam asked.

Dean nodded. "I don't think I've ever been that scared in my life Sam… watching that bastard touch you and the fact that there were two of them and they both had guns… I was terrified." He answered. "All I could think was how scared you must be and how the hell I was going to get you out of there."

"I knew you would." Sam said quietly.

"You knew I would what?" Dean asked.

"Get me out of there, when… when he was touching me, that was what I focused on. The fact that my big brother was there and that he'd never let me get hurt again." Dean had to look away, Sam's words were like an unintentional punch to the gut.

"I'm so sorry Sammy, I never wanted it to come to this… god, I would have done anything to stop him." Dean said and Sam could hear the guilt in his brother's voice so he continued.

"I'm not saying I wasn't scared because I was. I was really scared but I also knew I had to just hold on because you were there, I just had to give you enough time but then when I heard the gunshot go off… all I could think was that they'd shot you… that I was all alone now and it didn't matter what E… Elias or the other one did to me because you were dead. I think that was when the fear really set in. That suddenly there wasn't anybody to save me, nobody else was gonna protect me like that. I was on my own." Sam said in a low, hushed whisper. He began to sob and Dean pulled him into his arms, gently rubbing his brother's back, knowing the feeling Sam was talking about; the feeling that you were all alone in the world without someone to hold on to when you felt like you were drowning. "And even though I know that's not really what happened, when I close my eyes, that's all I can see is people telling me that you're gone and this time there really is no escape."

"Oh Sammy, I'm so sorry kiddo…" Dean apologized. Now, Sam's clinginess made even more sense to him and he wondered why he didn't think of that before. He was having dreams of Sam being injured, why wouldn't Sam dream the vice-versa?

Sam went willingly into his big brother's embrace and wrapped his arms tight around Dean while burying his face in his brother's neck. "I heard them say that it was going to be you and… and then the gun went off and when I didn't hear your voice, I thought they'd k… killed you." Sam sobbed.

"No Sammy, no… those bastards didn't get me 'kay?" Dean asked as he pulled back slightly. He gently took Sam's uncasted hand in his and placed it over his heart. "You feel that?" Dean asked.

Sam closed his eyes and nodded, concentrating on the thump-thump feel of Dean's steady heartbeat beneath his hand.

"I'm not going anywhere Sam, not for a long, long time." Dean reassured.

Sam nodded again and moved closer to Dean to gently lay his head on his brother's shoulder. "I'm so glad you were there." He whispered a couple minutes later.

Dean gave Sam a gentle squeeze and was quiet for a while. "I'm sorry Sammy… I should have done more." He said, even with Sam's words, he still felt guilty that he hadn't been able to protect his brother from being used again.

"What?" Sam asked surprised both at the fact that Dean had spoken and what he'd said. "What more could you have done?"

"I wish I'd never brought you there in the first place Sam, I promised you you'd never be hurt again and I'm so sorry because I haven't been doing a very good job." He said and was slightly surprised to feel something wet rolling down his cheek.

"Don't say sorry Dean, you don't have anything to be sorry for… I don't know what I would have done without you there. I mean, you stood up for me… even when your own life was being threatened… no one's ever done that for me before and I don't know anyone else who would." He said, tears forming in his eyes again.

Dean stared at Sam for a moment before swiping his thumb over his brother's cheek. "You're my world kid, I would have done anything to stop that from happening."

"You did stop it." Sam replied. "He… he would have raped me and done anything he wanted to if it wasn't for you. Dean, you're my hero." Sam said with such a look of adoration in his eyes that Dean had a hard time believing it was for him.

Dean smiled softly.

At seeing Dean's expression change, Sam asked, "What?"

"Well then I guess even hero's have heroes." He answered.

"I'm not a hero." Sam replied quietly.

"You're _my_ hero." Dean countered, repeating Sam's words. "The things you've been through and the fact that you still get up to face the morning every day and you still give people a chance… I don't think I'd be doing that." Dean smiled softly and the two became quiet again, both going over what the other had revealed.

~DW/SW~

Sam walked into his room after taking his evening shower and collapsed onto his bed. He was still trying to get over the fact that Dean had called him a hero, he didn't know if or how it could be true. He was just a kid, a kid who had faced things many other people his age didn't even think about but still, he was just a kid.

And he hadn't even considered that Dean might be having nightmares and wondered why. After all, Dean had been there too, had gone through the trauma with Sam, it would only make sense his brother would lose sleep over it. Sam closed his eyes as he remembered how angry and cold Dean had been that day, not towards him but towards the men who wanted to hurt him. He fisted his hand so tight, his nails dug into his palms leaving small, crescent shaped marks behind. In truth, he had noticed Dean's tiredness and the circles under his eyes but had thought that was simply because he was being kept up at night by Sam not because he couldn't sleep either.

Sleep sounded good but he didn't want to risk seeing _his_ face again and instead flopped down onto his bed, content to stare at the ceiling. Sam grew bored though a while later and looked around his room, filled with his things. Things he'd picked out for himself and presents he'd received over the past two years. One of the presents being the card from his friends that stood in the center of his top desk shelf.

Feeling tears sting his eyes, Sam climbed off his bed and walked towards his desk picking the piece of paper up in his shaking hand. Kate had drawn the picture on the front… _Kate_ he thought sadly. He was supposed to have gone to a dance with her and maybe, just maybe started to be something more than just friends with her. God, how he wanted to be able to hold her hand but he was terrified that she was just pulling him along for the ride. Now though, the chances of her going out with him, even for some cruel joke, were slim. There was no way she'd ever want to be seen with a Hoare and what would her parents think? Sam hadn't ever met them before but he doubted they would be happy about him and Kate. After all, who wanted _that_ kind of influence around their daughter? He missed her though and wondered what she was doing, he doubted she missed him.

Flipping the card open, he traced a finger over her signature and the little heart next to it. As his eyes gazed down the page, he came across James's note followed by Sean's, Mike's, Bobby's and lastly Andy's. Sam sat staring at the different messages trying to figure out what to do. He wasn't overly worried about seeing Sean and Mike again since he knew they'd been at the hospital and had already known what had happened to him but the other four, Kate, James, Andy, and Bobby… they'd just found out about his past and he didn't know how well they were digesting it. Closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the end of his bed, Sam remembered the message that had been on their answering machine. James had told him to call him and Kate had been there too. Rereading the messages, Sam began to hope that his friends were there for real and that the message wasn't going to be some mean prank. He didn't think he could handle their rejection.

Standing on shaky legs, he gripped the card tight and walked out to the living room. He grabbed the phone off the hook and then walked over to Dean. "You want me to call someone?" He asked when Sam sat next to him, looking very hesitant, with the phone in hand.

Sam shook his head.

"Are you gonna call someone?" He asked and then noticed that Sam was also holding his 'get well' card. _Yes! _He silently shouted, hoping Sam was coming out of his shell.

"Should I call him?" Sam asked fearfully.

"I think he'd like to hear from you." Dean encouraged.

Sam nodded and stared down at the phone. "Will you stay?" He asked quietly.

"Sure kiddo," Dean said putting his arm around Sam's shoulders, hoping his brother wouldn't need his support for this conversation.

Sam nodded and settled back against his big brother's chest. It took a couple minutes for him to gather his courage and then he dialed James's house number. _Please be home, please be home_ Sam prayed because he wasn't sure he'd be able to do this a second time.

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So how was that? Hopefully, their conversation wasn't as bad as I think it was. Anyways, thanks to everyone for reading, I look forward to hearing from you! I'll try to update within another week or so. Thanks again! :)


	21. Chapter 21

Hey guys! Here's the next chapter, it is mostly Sam and James with supporitve Dean and I hope you enjoy it!

I really, super appreciate everything you guys do from just reading the story to marking it as a favorite to letting me know if you liked it or if things could have been better, it's all greatly appreciated! I've really enjoyed writing this story and I think that this segment, at least, is winding down. I'm not sure how many more chapters it has to go but I don't think it's a lot.

HAPPY 31ST BIRTHDAY JENSEN! Love you and hope you have an awesome and successful year!

Thanks again for everything! You guys rock! Enjoy! :)

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Sam sat with his back to Dean's chest, his eyes closed and his casted hand resting on top of Dean's arm holding the phone with his other. The more rings he heard, the more anxious Sam grew and he was starting to fear that his call would go unanswered, either because they simply weren't home or they'd checked the caller ID, he didn't know. He glanced at the card on the coffee table and tried to convince himself that he was doing the right thing, that it was okay to call James and that he wasn't imposing or what-not. _Please answer, please… please_ he begged.

"Relax Sammy, just give them a couple of minutes okay? We don't always answer the phone right away either." Dean reassured as he sat with his arms wrapped around his brother's waist, holding him close. He knew how much his brother feared being judged and abandoned and prayed Sean was right, that James wouldn't turn the kid away. He didn't want to have to see that kind of devastation written on Sam's face, not after everything else the kid had been put through.

Sam nodded and tried hard not to panic as he held the phone in a white-knuckle grip. He swallowed thickly when the phone was finally answered a couple minutes later but now he wasn't so sure he wanted to talk to James or that he would be able to around the lump in his throat.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" The woman asked, sounding busy and a bit impatient when Sam still didn't say anything.

Dean gently squeezed Sam tighter around the waist and ran his fingers over Sam's. "Hi, my name is Sam. Is James home?" He coached in a non-condescending tone of voice.

Sam nodded and licked his lips before speaking in a quiet, shaky voice. "Um, hi… it's… it's Sam. Is ah, is James home?" He asked.

"Oh hi Sam, one moment okay?" James's mom, Judy, replied with motherly concern in her voice.

Sam nodded. He remembered meeting her the night he'd gone over to James' house and played video games thinking she seemed like the typical mom and had been very kind to him. He hoped her opinion of him hadn't changed. "O… okay." He sighed worriedly and put his head back against Dean's collar bone, feeling Dean gently run his thumb in soothing circles over the inside of his arm. He looked up and saw Dean smiling reassuringly back at him.

"Hey Sam," Sam was drawn out of his thoughts when he heard his friend's voice on the line.

"H… hi." He gulped nervously, the minute trembles slowly increasing.

"So, I'm glad you called. How are you?" He asked sounding concerned and rightfully so. James and the rest of their gang had grown increasingly more worried about Sam the longer it took for him to call any one of them. It was a relief to hear his mom say that Sam was on the phone for him though he wasn't sure what kind of shape Sam would be in.

"I'm um…" Sam was going to say he was alright but decided to come out with the truth, after all, he highly doubted James would believe him if he said he was okay. "I've been better." And a stray tear fell down his cheek and he turned to bury his face in Dean's shirt, unintentially getting snot and tears on the fabric.

"Shh Sammy, don't cry." Dean whispered softly as he rested his chin on top of Sam's curls and tenderly kissed the back of Sam's head running a soothing hand up and down Sam's arm.

Most of the time when Dean looked at his brother, he saw the strong, brave, and smart seventeen year old who was finally getting the chance to enjoy life but then there were the other moments where he would catch Sam double checking the locks or the hesitation that would be written across his face as he debated about trying something new and it would make him want to hold his brother close and not let the world get near the kid ever again. Hearing the shake in his brother's voice and knowing how scared Sam was at the moment, Dean felt like taking the phone from him and sheltering him before he did get hurt but he knew that was harmful in its own right. Not allowing the kid to interact with other people didn't allow him to work on his social skills, which were still pretty poor, or to see that there were good, kind people out there.

James nodded thinking that was probably true. While the school year hadn't exactly been easy on Sam, he had seen his friend smile a little bit more since he'd come back. He had no idea how Sam was feeling right now though, he couldn't imagine having to go through something like what had happened to Sam. "Yeah, it's good to hear from you though. We've been pretty worried." James explained as he gave his mom a small smile and then walked to his room, closing the door behind him.

"You have?" Sam asked sounding surprised.

James nodded again. "Of course we were. I mean, what happened… it sounded pretty terrifying." James said hoping Sam would realize it was okay that he knew.

Sam let out a small whimper and then embarrassed by it, he bit his trembling lip and didn't say anything further. He had relived some of his worst memories and added new ones at the diner, terrifying didn't even begin to cover it.

"So ah, what are you up to today?" James asked, trying to see if there was some way he could stop by and see Sam, even if it was only for a couple of minutes.

Sam shrugged and tried to quell his tears before speaking. "Not much, I guess. Don't really feel like going out, ya know?"

James nodded. "That's understandable…" There was a good bit of awkward silence between the two as James wasn't sure how to suggest they hang out and Sam was just too nervous to be able to initiate anything. "Do you want to hang out though… just the two of us?" He asked hopeful a few minutes later.

"W… what?" Sam stammered. There was no way he'd heard that invitation right!

"I feel like I haven't seen you in ages man and we can do whatever you want to okay? We can talk or just watch crap and eat junk, whatever you wanna do." James explained.

Sam clenched his eyes shut and snuggled closer to his brother, needing Dean's solid presence to anchor him as he fought with himself. He did miss his friends and he did want to see them but he wasn't so sure he would know how to act in front of them now. He didn't know how they expected him to act. "Just you?" Sam asked shyly.

"Just me." James reassured. "So, what do you say, it doesn't have to be for a long time either, just for a little while."

Sam wasn't sure what to do and he looked up at Dean, questions swimming in his wet hazel eyes. He moved the phone to his shoulder and whispered, "He wants to come over." Sam sounded both terrified and a little happily surprised.

Dean nodded back at him, gently squeezing his brother's waist again. "You'll have fun okay? And I'll be here the entire time." He comforted. He actually wasn't so sure that Sam would have fun but he did want to encourage Sam to spend some time with his friends. He knew Sam was lonely and that he feared what other people thought, hopefully, if he was actually around other people, those fears would diminish a little.

"O… okay." Sam said, finally agreeing. "But um, can… can we stay at my house?" He asked.

"Sure man." James smiled a bit. "What time do you want me to come over?"

"Can you come over soon, like I don't know… maybe in an hour?" Sam asked. He knew that if he stalled it any longer than that, he would just spend the rest of the evening totally filled with anxiety over what James might say to him. Besides, it was already getting later in the evening and he didn't know if his friend had a curfew or not and didn't want to get him in trouble.

"Yeah sure, I'll see you in an hour." James agreed.

Sam nodded and sighed hoping this wasn't going to backfire on him. He hung up the phone and let it fall into his lap, not saying a word.

Dean shifted and readjusted Sam against his chest. "So?" He asked, a smile playing on his lips.

"He's coming over… in an hour." Sam didn't sound totally okay. "Are you sure he wants to see me?" He asked nervously.

Dean nodded. "More than sure Sam and do you think he would have agreed to coming over here if he didn't want to?" He asked.

"No." Sam answered. "What am I supposed to tell him? He knows Dean, how do I explain it?"

Dean sighed. "You say whatever you want Sam, you don't have to say anything or explain anything if you don't want to okay?" Sam nodded but Dean could see the doubt and anxiety on his brother's face. "You don't have to prove anything to anybody Sam, it is completely up to you."

~DW/SW~

Sam was sitting on the couch, wringing his hands together and constantly checking the clock on the DVD player, Ace was sitting in front of Sam, licking Sam's hands and giving him 'love-bites'. _What if he doesn't show? No, Dean said he wouldn't do that… would he?_ He glanced down at his dog and sighed. "I did the right thing right Ace? I can trust him right?" He asked feeling incredibly nervous. The slow passing of time didn't help either and was gradually driving him insane. Sam jumped a little when he felt a hand land on his shoulder.

"It's just me." Dean reassured realizing just how freaked out Sam was. He took a seat on the coffee table across from his brother and tried to get Sam to look at him. "It's gonna be okay alright? Nothing bad is gonna happen okay, I promise." Dean smiled a little. "You're here at home with me and you're safe okay? It's gonna go fine."

Sam nodded, still biting his lip.

Dean sighed and took Sam's slightly shaking hands in his. "You need to breathe Sammy." He ordered gently. "C'mon breathe in, nice and slow." He demonstrated.

Sam nodded and took a deep breath at Dean's insistence followed by a second one.

"Good, now relax okay. There isn't anything to be nervous about…" He was cut off by the doorbell ringing. He smiled reassuringly at his brother and walked to answer it. "Hey James," Dean smiled kindly at the young man. He was forever grateful for the friendship James had offered to Sam and the fact that he'd stuck by him when very few other people had.

"Hey Dean," James replied. The teen looked a little nervous and Dean internally laughed a little at the fact that both teens were nervous about seeing the other.

Dean opened the door wider and stepped back to let James in. "He's in the living room." He nodded towards the room off to the side of the entry way.

James nodded his thanks and walked further into the house seeing Sam sitting on the couch, his shoulders slumped and his head down. Ace jumped up when he saw James and walked over to greet him. James spent a couple minutes petting the dog as he tried to figure out just how he should approach his friend. His mom had told him to let Sam set the pace and just follow whatever he did, she had also extended his curfew realizing that neither one of them knew what was going to happen tonight or how long it might end up taking. Finally drawing a deep breath, he walked over to Sam and stood in front of him. "Hey," He smiled. "I don't know if you've had dinner yet but I brought pizza, plain cheese… your favorite right?" James asked, trying to start off on a normal note.

Sam slowly raised his head, a look of shock appearing on his face as he stared at James standing in front of him. "You really came?" He asked, sounding as if he didn't believe it himself. "You're really here?"

James laughed a little and nodded. "I told you I would. Are you hungry, because I'm starving!" He said before diving into the box. "You wanna watch some TV?" He asked, trying as hard as he could to make this seem like any other time when they'd hang out. Seeing the bewildered look on Sam's face, James smiled and grabbed the remote flipping the TV on.

Sam sat on the couch staring at James who was sitting on the floor, munching on a slice of pizza and watching Comedy Central, acting as if he hadn't just found out that one of his friends had been a pedophile's play toy. He didn't understand how James could act so normal and didn't know what to say to him. The fact that James was acting so okay threw him, he had prepared himself for James to call him a freak or tell him he was disgusting, not act like nothing had changed between them. "Why are you here?" Sam asked in a quiet, tear filled voice.

James placed his slice down and wiped his hands off on his jeans. "You asked if I could come over, so I did. " He answered simply.

"Do you want to be here?" Sam asked fearfully. _Please don't leave_ he prayed.

Unsure of where Sam was coming from, he asked, "Do you want me here?"

Sam just barely nodded, not looking at his friend.

"Sam, if I didn't want to hang out with you then I wouldn't." James said, repeating Dean's earlier sentiment. "I came because you said it was okay and I wanted to see you."

"Why?" Sam asked. "Why do you want to be my friend so badly?" He'd never had friends before, he'd always been a loner during his few years in grade school and it was strange that he now suddenly had a group to belong to.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He asked. "Sam, you're a good guy okay… and I don't know, you and me we just click. I like being your friend, you're easy to get along with and you don't try to be someone you're not."

Sam shook his head. "But… but you know what happened at the diner…" Sam's confusion was obvious. "You know…"

James sighed and thought for a moment. "I still wanna be your friend." He reassured.

Sam brought his hand up to his face and clamped it over his mouth, trying to keep the sobs in. This felt too good to be true and he was scared he was going to wake up and have it all be a cruel dream that was just out of his grasp.

James abandoned his pizza and moved closer to Sam. "I can't even begin to imagine what you went through Sam but I'd like to try if you want to let me, that is. I promise I won't ask but you can tell me whatever you want…"

Sam shook his head disbelievingly. "I can't." He whispered scared that if James heard him say it, heard that it was true, he'd recant wanting to be his friend.

James sighed. "Why? Because you think I'll run away screaming? I don't care what anyone else says or thinks Sam, I've made up mind and there's nothing that can change it."

Sam scoffed. "Yeah." He had a hard time believing that.

"What's that supposed to mean?" James asked, sounding a little bit more hostile than he would have liked. "I… we care about you Sam, a lot, and we're not quite sure why you can't see that. When we heard about the shooting and the attack… I honestly don't think I've ever seen someone that upset as Kate was." He explained. "Or the rest of us…"

Sam sniffled. "She was upset?" He asked worried.

James nodded. "We all were. I think they'll be a bit jealous when I tell 'em I got to see you." He smiled.

"Why?" Sam asked shaking his head in confusion.

"Because we miss you." He answered.

"You guys shouldn't, I'm not worth missing." Sam said quietly.

"What? Sam…" Now James was confused.

"I appreciate your concern but you guys should really just turn the other cheek." Sam said and stood, walking over to the window overlooking the backyard.

Dean was standing in the kitchen, listening, and he really wanted to go out and tell his brother that that was a load of bullshit but knew that it was time for James to prove himself and he hoped with everything he had that James wouldn't let him down.

"I'm sorry you think we should but we can't. Sam, why do you want us to?" James asked coming and standing beside him.

_Keep going_ Dean thought as he did the dishes, using it as a cover to eavesdrop. He wanted to know what was going on and be close enough to step in should things go south.

Sam shook his head. "The rest of the school probably hates my guts right? I'll be okay on my own… it's not the first time I've had to walk through the halls alone." His voice betrayed his words. "I don't want to ruin your guy's reputations too. I won't." _Prove me wrong, please prove me wrong… don't leave me_ Sam silently pleaded.

James stood, staring at Sam for a couple of minutes. "That's bullshit." He finally said. _Thank you, thank you!_ Dean thought as he reminded himself to give Sean a pay raise. "If you think that's the kind of friends you've got, that we're gonna turn our backs on you just because of what some dim-witted high school punks think and say that's the 'thing' to do, then you are so completely wrong. Sam, I don't give a rat's ass what the rest of the school thinks and I know that Andy, Bobby, and Kate agree with me."

Sam slowly turned to face James, trying to spot the lie in his words. "Kate?" He shook his head no, doubting that she still wanted to go out with him.

"Trust me Sam, she still likes you… and she misses you like crazy." James explained.

Sam frowned and stood there, rocking on the balls of his feet.

"As for the rest of 'em, who the fuck are they to judge you? They don't have the right to judge you Sam, nobody does… nobody. Not me, not Kate, not Dean, not Sean, nobody… no one has any fucking clue what you've been through Sam and until they do, then they can just shove it okay?" James asked his tone a little softer now.

Sam was quiet. "You're really still willing to walk down the halls with me?" He asked.

"Hell yeah!" James smiled a little. "We can't wait for you to come back, like I said earlier, we miss you."

"I've…" Sam coughed and fisted his hand in front of his mouth, trying to suppress the urge to cry. "I've missed you guys too." He whispered as tears streamed down his cheeks.

_Comfort him, come on_ Dean silently urged from his spot.

James stood there for a moment, watching Sam cry before he stepped forward and attentively wrapped an arm around Sam's shoulders. He wasn't sure this was the right thing to do but then he saw Dean smiling at him and nodding, he squeezed Sam a little tighter. "Come back whenever you're ready okay, we'll be there waiting for ya."

Sam nodded and waited a minute before stepping out of James's embrace. "The pizza's cold now." He said quietly, contemplating if he wanted to tell James about his past.

"You guys have a microwave right?" James asked, smiling a little.

Sam nodded.

"Then, we'll just heat it up is all." He said as the two walked back to the table. "How many pieces do you want?" James asked.

Sam shrugged so James grabbed the entire box and carried it into the kitchen. He was stopped when he saw Dean standing in the kitchen. "Thank you." Dean whispered smiling at him.

James just nodded in reply. "Um, hey Sam, where are your plates?" He called.

Sam stood up and walked into the kitchen opening the cabinet next to the fridge. "Here," He said shyly.

James smiled at him and then placed the two plates in the microwave.

~DW/SW~

"I meant what I said, you know… 'bout you being able to tell me." James said as he and Sam sat at the kitchen table.

Sam nodded but didn't say anything. They were halfway through finishing off the pizza when Sam started to talk. "I've never really had a friend before… not before now anyways."

James set the paper towel down and sat back, unsure of what he'd hear but ready to listen anyways.

"Growing up, I was never the popular kid… not that it's that surprising. Somehow, I don't really see the kid wearing threadbare shirts and pants that are too small getting along with everybody else. You asked me one time how I could just lie down and take it, take being bullied… the fact is I'm used to it." Tears sparkled in Sam's eyes and he went to wipe them away. "I've always been people's scapegoat, whether it was a punch, a kick, cruel words, or having to take some bastards' dick… it's all happened before…" Sam drifted off.

"Sam…" James sighed.

Sam shook his head and dug his fingers into his jean-clad thighs. "I was basically sold five years ago to a guy who thought I was really quite attractive." Sam smirked and let out a humorless laugh. "That guy in the diner… he was one of the ones who paid for me… paid to use me. You know that trial last year? The teen slave case?" Sam asked and James nodded. "That was me." He said, waiting, watching for James' reaction. He saw his friend's eyes grow large and Sam looked away trying not to feel too ashamed as his cheeks burned red.

"That… that was you?" James asked, now having more of the pieces fit together. "But I thought…" He drifted off thinking about the story that had been created to explain Sam's past.

Sam shook his head. "I'm a foster care kid. I was a foster care kid." He corrected with a small smile on his face as he thought about how he no longer had to carry that taboo title around with him. "I've been in and out of so many homes… my parents, I never knew them, it wasn't a car accident either more like crack pipes and stuff like that. The state took me from them when I was two, I used to wonder which one was the worse of the two evils… living with drug addicted parents or going through the system to end up like a whore. It is true though that Dean adopted me but the rest of it was a lie… a lie so that I wouldn't have to explain to anybody how I magically appeared out of nowhere when really I've lived in Lawrence my entire life… I was just invisible or at least people liked to pretend I was."

James shook his head trying to sort through everything Sam was telling him.

"The guy in the diner, his name was… was Elias," Sam took a deep breath and trying to ignore the shiver that coursed down his spine. "He expected me to lie down and take it like I used to. There used to be no point in fighting back, it never got me anywhere… I was never able to get away from the pain or the people causing it. Not until I'd finally had enough a little over a year and a half ago… I am so lucky I ran into Dean's shop… if he hadn't been there… I can pretty much guarantee you, I'd be dead either because Frank would have killed me for running away or I would have killed myself." Sam stopped as tears gathered in his eyes against his will.

"I was so scared to call you…" Sam saw the questioning look on his friend's face and continued. "I know you called and left a message and I appreciated that, I did, I was just scared that it was a joke. Thank you though for coming here James and proving me wrong… you have no idea what this," Sam said motioning to the pizza and then to the two of them. "Means to me… I never thought I'd have this life… being able to go to school and actually looking forward to coming home… having friends who wanted more from me than to steal my meager lunch or the chance to rat me out to my 'parents' just to watch and see what new bruises I'd show up with… it's like I'm living in a dream and I'm so scared that one day I'm gonna wake up and you and Dean and everybody are going to be gone and I'm going to be all alone again."

Sam gulped and wiped his eyes. "Now that you've heard that… do you still want to be my friend?" He asked sounding so incredibly scared and unable to meet James's gaze.

James stared Sam in the eye and answered, "Yes, I do want to be your friend Sam, I told you I don't get scared off easily."

Sam sniffled and raised his eyes to look at James, seeing the sincerity in his eyes caused the floodgates to break. He put his head in his hands and cried, looking up when he felt a familiar pair of arms circle him. He sniffled and wiped a hand across his face leaning against Dean's side.

Dean had heard Sam and James's entire conversation, he was glad his brother was opening up to his friend and prayed that James would be strong enough to be able to deal with what Sam was telling him. Seeing his brother break down though after admitting that he was scared this was all some dream and then to have him ask James if they were still friends made Dean move from his spot and go to the kid. Even though James needed to show Sam that he could be there, through both thick and thin, Dean also needed to reassure his brother that this was in no way some dream that was about to end.

James sat there in silence for a moment, he didn't know how Sam would take to pity or sympathy and watched as Dean comforted Sam. It occurred to him that a lot of his fellow students would be surprised if they saw Dean and Sam together. Most kids considered Dean to be an idol at their school but not once did they stop to think that their idol might care so much about the kid a lot of them worked hard to hurt.

James bit his lip and then started to speak, unsure at first and then gaining confidence. "I'm sorry for what you've been through Sam and god, I swear I am never complaining about my parents again but what you've said… dude, you're a hero. I don't know how you survived all that crap but I'm glad you did, I'm glad I got to meet you and I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me that and I promise that everything you've said to me stays between us." He reassured.

Dean pulled back and Sam nodded, wiping his eyes and smiling a little. It was a huge relief to him to know that he had been able to tell someone besides Dean just what he'd been through and not have them turn their back on him. To have James say he was a hero, just like Dean had, also helped to make him feel a little bit more comfortable in his own skin. He wasn't so sure he was a hero but he would much rather have them think that than think he was a disgusting freak. And the knowledge that Kate missed him was something he hadn't been expecting to hear. He'd thought she might be angry at him for ruining the dance for her but apparently that wasn't the case.

Dean smiled gratefully at James and patted his brother's shoulder, glad that they were taking small baby steps in getting Sam to accept his past and realize that others accepted it too.

* * *

Hey! So, I hope you liked the chapter, please let me know what you thought of it! I'll try to update soon. Thanks again! :)


	22. Chapter 22

Hey guys, hopefully the wait for this wasn't too long... if it was, I'm sorry. Real life and pesky, immature little sisters got in the way. Anyways, thank you for continuing to read the story, I hope you enjoy this chapter and please feel free to leave me a review. I love hearing your thoughts on it!

Oh, and for anybody who doesn't know what an IEP is, it's an Individualized Education Plan and it's for students in resource or who have special needs who sometimes need a bit more help on their school work than their classmates and it made sense to me that Sam would have one.

Thanks again for reading! Enjoy! :)

* * *

"Hey," Dean smiled when he opened the front door to let Rachel in. He had a meeting to go to at Sam's school and he hadn't wanted to leave the kid alone, plus Sam didn't seem all that keen on being left to his own devices these days even if he wasn't as clingy as when Dean had first brought him home. Since Mike and James were out of the question, Dean had asked Sean if he could come and stay with Sam for a few hours but he had unfortunately had prior obligations that he couldn't get out of, something about taking his mom to see her cardiologist. Dean had been shocked to say the least when Sam had quietly suggested giving Rachel a call because even though Sam was slowly accepting her, he didn't think they were anywhere near that level of trust. But following his brother's suggestion, Dean had called Rachel and was relieved when she had agreed to stay with him.

"Hi." Rachel answered in a friendly tone of voice as she looked around the small entry way seeing the framed photos hanging on the wall. This was the first time she'd been over to Sam and Dean's house. "Hi Ace," She smiled and crouched down to give Ace a good stomach rub as he rolled around on his back, his feet in the air and his tail wagging. "Where's Sam?" She asked.

"He's in the living room." Dean said explaining Sam's whereabouts as he grabbed his jacket from the hall closet. "Oh and if he doesn't talk to you or kind of keeps his distance, please don't take it personally… he's been a lot quieter than he normally is." He said in a softer tone of voice, not exactly wanting Sam to hear that he was already the topic of conversation.

Rachel waved him off, an understanding smile on her face, and watched as Dean walked into the living room to where Sam was sitting on the sofa. "Rachel's here and I'll be home in a little while okay kiddo," Dean said laying his hand on Sam's shoulder.

Sam nodded. "Bye Dean." He said quietly before he glanced a quick look at Rachel. She smiled at him and sat down on the arm chair beside the couch, Ace following her and taking a seat in between her and Sam.

"Bye kid, bye Rachel." Dean called and with that, he was gone.

"So… what do you want to do?" Rachel asked Sam.

Sam shrugged his shoulders wondering what it was he was supposed to say to her without Dean around, second-guessing his suggestion that the two of them could hang out while Dean was gone.

~DW/SW~

Dean pulled into the front parking lot of the high school and looked at his watch. Seeing that he was a bit early, he sat back and closed his eyes, listening as the station played ACDC's _Highway to Hell_. Halfway through the song, Dean was startled out of his light snooze when he heard a tap on the window. He took off his sunglasses and saw that James was standing beside the Impala, his backpack slung over his shoulder. Looking around, Dean saw that the parking lot was rapidly filling up with students eager to get some lunch before they had to be back.

Shutting off the engine and consequently the radio, Dean opened his door and stepped out of the car. "Hey," He smiled. "What's up?"

James shrugged. "Not much, we were just about to go get some lunch."

Dean nodded, smiling a bit more when he saw the rest of Sam's friends waiting in James' jeep.

"How's Sam?" James asked with genuine concern written across his face. He had spoken to Sam a couple of times over the phone since they'd hung out a week ago but had yet to actually see him again. The phone conversations were usually pretty short with James doing most of the talking though Sam was starting to initiate small bits of the conversation again.

"He's doing alright…" Dean answered. "Thanks again for coming over the other night."

"I don't really feel like I did much." James said quietly. "I mean, all I did was bring a pizza and listen."

"I know what that feels like, trust me… but…" Dean said before he glanced at his watch and saw that he should probably head inside soon.

"You have to go?" James asked noticing Dean glancing at his watch and then back at the main building.

Dean nodded even though he could see that James had more to say. "Look, this meeting shouldn't take longer than an hour and a half… you busy later this afternoon?" He asked.

"Nah, for once there's no baseball practice." James replied.

"Okay, why don't I meet you at Ruby's in about two hours and we can… talk, alright?" He suggested.

"Yeah sure, you sure you don't mind talking to me though? I mean, I know most of my questions can probably only be answered by Sam but..." James drifted off feeling a bit sheepish.

Dean shook his head. "Don't mind at all." He smiled, not minding helping out someone who was kind to his brother when most other people either sneered or turned the other cheek. Sam hadn't really left the house all that much since he'd come home from the hospital and Dean wasn't in a huge rush to push his brother back out there, unsure of how the world would treat him. "See you at Ruby's." And with that, he locked the car and headed inside the main building.

~DW/SW~

Dean walked through the halls of his former high school, shaking his head as his memories came back to him. Cramming for tests and pulling all nighters because he'd delayed doing a project until the night before it was due or playing football games on Friday nights and then going out for pizza with the team, whether they lost or won the game and just being an average, out-going teen… this had been his stomping ground and he badly wanted Sam to be able to experience the same carefree joys he had. Hopefully, things would change now though and his brother would get to relax a bit more and maybe come out of his shell for the last part of the school year. Dean was very happy that Sam had made some good friends and he hoped that the kid would be able to keep them even after his time at Lawrence High ended.

Walking past the gym and up the small set of steps to the language wing, he stopped outside Mike's door to let a couple of students pass by. Noticing that his friend was talking with a student, Dean hung back and looked over the assignments that decorated the bulletin board. _What did you write Sammy_ Dean wondered as he scanned the wall for his brother's work. Finding it in the upper right hand corner of the board, he stood back with his arms crossed over his chest and began to read Sam's _Lord of the Flies_ essay and whether or not he thought the way the boys acted was instinctual or because society had taught them to act like that. He remembered it being a hard book for Sam to read due to the amount of violence in it. Sam would curl up beside him for comfort when he would read the assigned chapters occasionally having to stop if his imagination got too out of hand. Mike had given Sam the option of reading a different book but Sam had decided to do what the rest of the class was doing, not wanting to stick out anymore than he already did and Dean was proud of him for that, for sticking with the book even if it sometimes made Sam be a bit jumpy afterwards.

"He's a good writer hunh," Mike said as he walked over to where Dean was.

Dean nodded. "Yeah," He replied as he continued to read the essay noticing that Sam had gotten an A on it. _Good job, kiddo!_

"You got here on time… what a shocker," Mike teased as he stood beside his friend.

Dean laughed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah well, what can I say? I'm a very good student." He joked turning away from the wall.

Mike shook his head. "Yeah Dean, you're every teachers dream come true." He said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Dean grinned. "You never know, I might be."

Mike laughed at the look on Dean's face and walked back to his desk. He grabbed the manila folder that was lying on top of a pile of papers and smiled. "How about you tuck your little fantasies away and we go get some work done?" He asked, his tone still light but containing a bit of professionalism to it.

Dean nodded, still smiling a little and followed Mike out of the room. "So, do you know what they're going to say?" He asked as they walked towards the resource room where the meeting would be held. This was still a fairly new position for him to be in, to be considered in a parental or guardian position and going to parent-teacher conferences was still a bit strange but it was a duty he enjoyed and felt honored to have knowing that others had been given the chance to have that relationship with Sam and had squashed it. It was his turn now though and he enjoyed taking care of Sam and making sure that he got everything he needed and deserved out of life.

"It's basically just to go over his IEP and goals for the rest of the school year. Hopefully, the lot of us will be able to help him be a bit more comfortable this time around." Mike explained causing Dean to nod in agreement; he certainly hoped that this time around, things would be different and much better for the kid especially since a certain P.E. teacher was missing from the equation now.

The two of them walked into the small classroom and saw that some of Sam's teachers as well as the school psychologist and the principle were already there. They didn't have to wait long for Sam's newly appointed guidance counselor and the rest of his teachers to file in. To start, Sam's study skills and resource teacher, Mr. Al Pezino, passed out copies of Sam's IEP to everyone.

Dean opened his copy and started flipping through the results of Sam's test scores. Of course, he already knew what the papers said as he had received another copy of Sam's IEP at the start of the year but he continued to glance through it, refreshing his memory. Closing the packet and sitting up straighter, he listened as his brother's teachers told him about how Sam was slowly starting to ask questions in class and participate more. Though, a lot of them expressed the feeling that it seemed as if once he'd asked his question, he was done for the period keeping to himself and sitting very still in his seat. Dean nodded, that sounded like Sam and knowing how shy the kid was, he didn't doubt it that Sam kept mostly to himself. But he was very happy to hear that his brother was starting to speak up a bit more, especially since Sam didn't always believe he was that capable of doing his school work and was afraid of getting the answer wrong and being laughed at, whether to his face or his back.

"He is quite helpful in class and I never have to worry about him being disrespectful towards anybody. It really is a pleasure teaching him." Sam's math teacher, Jill Terly, said. All of his other teachers nodded in agreement and murmured similar sentences.

"What does this mean?" Dean asked as he gazed down the page, his eyes landing on the note that suggested Sam enter a new class, a counseling resource class. "In efforts to give Sam some time alone during the day, we recommend Sam be put in the counseling class… what counseling class?" Dean repeated.

Mike turned to Dean knowing his friend would be quick to refuse the idea. "First off, think about it okay… don't just say no." He said, somewhat pleadingly.

Dean grew confused.

"The counseling class is taught by Laurie Sanders, she's an excellent teacher Dean. She's really sweet and understanding. She'd be a good ally for him to have." Mr. Pezino started to explain.

Dean shook his head, still not totally understanding. "What about the class, what's it for?"

"Counseling Resource 101 is basically where he would go if he was having trouble that day, he could go there any time of the day, even during the middle of class if something were to happen and calm down. And he wouldn't be alone either, there are lots of kids in that class who sometimes need help controlling their behavior." He finished.

Dean's eyes grew wide as he realized that they were talking about the class that was used to 'house' the behavior problem kids, the emotionally troubled kids. "No, I don't want him in there." Dean objected, his face stern and Mike sighed.

"Why not? It could be a good place for him." Mike said.

"I don't want that label put on him… as being a 'bad kid'." Mike cut Dean off.

"He's not a bad kid Dean, that's not what we're saying… all we're saying is that this place could kind of be like a safe-haven for him and he wouldn't need any excuse or permission to go there." Mike rationalized. "With the way it is now, if he needs some breathing space, he needs a pass either from the office or his teacher to go to the counselor… if he was in this class, he wouldn't have to make himself be visible like that and we both know that if he's able to ask for help discreetly, without the fear of being judged, he's more likely to do something."

Dean chewed his lip as he studied Mike and sat back in his chair. "Would he have to change his schedule or drop any classes? I know he's made some friends in a few of his classes and I think it would be hard for him if he had to start over." Dean said, expressing his concern over Sam's social skills and his brother's hesitancy to join in with his peers.

"No, we know that he likes his schedule and that he's made friends in those classes as well as feeling comfortable with his teachers so we would do everything we could to make sure he kept the same schedule." Mr. Pezino explained. "If it came down to it, the counseling class could take the place of my study skills class since he would still be able to do work in there."

Dean nodded, thinking the idea over in his head. "Would he get to keep these services?" Dean asked knowing how much Sam benefited from getting to take extra time on tests and other accommodations that not every student got.

"Yes, just because he was no longer in the study skills class specifically, it doesn't mean his IEP or accommodations would go away, he just wouldn't be in my class is all." Mr. Pezino answered.

"What do you think? Will you at least think about it?" Mike asked seeing that Dean didn't look so steadfast against it now.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, I wanna talk to him first though." He said resignedly.

~DW/SW~

Sam stood at the kitchen counter, holding the mixing bowl with one hand while he stirred with the other. "I've never made cookies before… not from scratch like this." Sam said with a smile on his face.

"You're gonna love these, I promise." Rachel smiled back at Sam as she preheated the oven. "Homemade everything is the best."

Sam nodded, he agreed even though he was still somewhat getting used to having homemade food. He was surprised that he was as calm as he was and also that she wasn't looking at him like he was going to attack her or like she was disgusted by being in the same room as him. Sam blinked and looked away, concentrating on not letting the bowl slip from his grip. Clearing his throat, he asked, "Do you cook a lot?"

Rachel noticed how Sam's voice sounded slightly strained and paused in answering him before deciding the best thing to do was act 'normal'. "Yeah, my mom cooked a lot when I was growing up and I used to always help her so it's a favorite past time of mine."

Sam nodded and was quiet for a little while. Rachel noticed the change in him as he had seemed to be relaxing more as the afternoon went on but now it looked like he had something on his mind and she wasn't sure what had brought on his sudden mood change. "Sam… you okay?" She asked concerned.

"Can I ask you something?" He said in a quiet tone of voice and avoiding her gaze.

"Yeah sure Sam, what is it?" She asked walking away from the stove and over to the teenager.

"Why didn't you run?" He asked and Rachel thought it sounded like he was crying.

"Run… run from what?" She asked confused.

Sam set the bowl down on the counter and slowly walked over to the kitchen table, keeping his back to Rachel the entire time.

"Sam, what is it?" She asked starting to get very concerned. "Do you want me to call Dean?" She asked already reaching for her cell phone.

Sam shook his head before he looked up and Rachel saw that he was losing the battle against his tears.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" She asked taking the seat next to him.

"How… how can you be here and make cookies with me when you know… hell, you were there." Sam said as the tears started to flow. "You were there… you saw me and…"

"Oh Sam," She sighed and was quiet as she thought of what to say to him.

"Aren't you disgusted by me?" He asked in confusion.

"No Sam, I'm not." Rachel said causing Sam to look up, his brow furrowed. "Sam… I'm not disgusted by you at all. I'm disgusted by the fact that someone thought they had the right to do that to you but not by you Sam. What happened to you, it isn't… it wasn't your fault…" Sam cut her off.

"I… I know that but," He took a breath and wiped a hand across his face. "I guess I just thought that maybe once you knew, you'd think that trying to be my friend and going out with Dean… it wouldn't have been worth it."

Rachel smiled softly. "Sam… the people who know about the diner and what's happened in your past and judge you for it… those people, they don't deserve to be around you… they don't have the right to say things to you. I mean, what… what happened, it was out of your control… both you and Dean… and I don't think I'd be a very nice friend if I held it against you."

Sam chewed on his bottom lip and looked away. "So… you don't think I'm gross or twisted or anything like that?" He asked hesitantly hoping that maybe if she didn't think he was weak for it, then maybe, just maybe Kate wouldn't either.

"I think you're pretty damn brave Sam. I know I was scared at the diner Sam so you and Dean... I can't even imagine what was going through your guys' heads Sam… were you scared I'd look you at differently if I knew?" Rachel asked.

Sam nodded. "I… I know people look at me differently, they always have. I've always been the different kid… the loner, the one whose parents weren't waiting outside in the parking lot to pick me up from school and ask me how my day was so I know it shouldn't affect me as much as it does but I can't help it… I just want to be liked for once for being me…" He cried.

Rachel slowly moved closer to Sam and placed one of her hands over his, linking their fingers together. "Everybody wants to be liked Sam, that's not anything unusual." She smiled softly. "And I like you."

Sam looked surprised. "You do?" He asked.

Rachel nodded. "Yeah, why wouldn't I?"

Sam shrugged self-consciously.

"Be proud of yourself Sam and not just for what you've been through and overcome but what you have to offer, you're a good guy okay." Rachel said smiling softly. "Anybody who can't see that doesn't deserve the time of day, alright?"

Sam nodded and smiled a little, drying his eyes on the back of his hand. "I'll try." He said as the oven beeped.

Rachel let go of Sam's hand and got up, walking over to the cookie sheet while Sam got up and went over to the bowl he'd left on the counter. "What do you say we get these cookies in the oven, hmm?" She asked with a smile on her face.

Sam smiled a little brighter this time and began to put the dough on the tin foil.

~DW/SW~

Dean walked into Ruby's, the restaurant across the street from the diner. He hadn't been in the diner since that fateful afternoon and when he was with Sam, he always took the long way around town to avoid the kid having to see the place. He looked around for James and quickly spotted him sitting in a corner booth drinking a coke and hurried over to him. "Hey," Dean smiled sliding into the empty seat.

James nodded back as he finished chewing his bite of burger.

Dean ordered a burger and a coke for himself before starting to talk. "So, what is it you wanted to ask me?"

"How do I help him… he's so hard on himself all the time when really he has no reason to be." James answered. "He beats himself up all the time over stuff that he shouldn't and he's so quick to apologize."

Dean sighed. "That's the brain-washing… the way he's been treated for the majority of his life has led him to believe that _he's_ the screw-up, that when something goes wrong that it's _his_ fault it did… and yeah sure, it's things people have said to him but it's also just the fact that nobody took the time to notice him until something went wrong. He's come a really long way from how he used to be but he's still got a long ways to go and you bringing the pizza over and turning on the TV, acting normal and like nothing had changed between you guys… that helped him James. I know it doesn't seem like much but it did… he's not used to having friends that care enough to wonder if he might be hungry and take the time to notice what it is that he likes."

"I know… he said he'd never had friends before, that seems so weird… to be so alone." James interrupted. After talking to Sam and learning that his friend had lived in Lawrence his entire life, he'd gone home and looked through his elementary school yearbooks trying to see if they'd gone to school together before but finding that Sam apparently didn't attend Spring Meadow Elementary which he wasn't sure if that made him feel better or worse about the situation.

"Yeah but I mean, you can't blame him for it. He never had the chance to make friends before but you're giving him that chance James… you, Kate, Bobby…" Dean continued. "Everybody who smiles at him and says 'hi' or offers to work on an assignment with him… all of you are giving him the chance to branch out of his own little world that he's been locked up in for so freaking long and there is absolutely no way I can thank you enough for that."

"It feels like I should do more." James sighed.

Dean nodded in agreement. "I know, I feel the same way, trust me, but there's not really anything else that any of us can do but be there for him and just help him enjoy the 'good' stuff. It's not like you have to plan out some big therapy session with him and say 'tell me how you feel and let's analyze it'. It's the little things that help him the most. Do you remember his birthday party over the summer?" Dean asked.

James nodded.

"He didn't care about the gifts that people gave him, not the way you or I do… what he got out of that day was the fact that people cared enough to realize it was _his_ day and wanted to spend it with him doing the things that he likes to do… that was huge for him. And going back to the other night, I mean, before he called you… he'd been sitting on the couch wondering if it was okay or acceptable for him to talk to you now that you knew so the fact that you came over and treated him just like you did before you found out, like it wasn't some chore you were forced into doing… you have no idea how big that was for him and I think it finally helped him realize that yes, he does actually have friends who know about his past and can look beyond that and see _him_… not just the statistic and case number that some people have pegged him as but him, the person with wants and dreams who just happens to have a past that isn't so pleasant." He finished as the waitress walked over to them.

"Here you go, can I get either of you anything else?" The waitress asked smiling.

"Oh thanks," He smiled as the waitress set down his lunch. "No, I'm good with this, thanks."

"I'm fine too." James added.

"Alright, just let me know if you change your mind." She said before walking away.

"I get what you mean though when you say you feel like you didn't do much, I can't tell you how many times I've felt that way since I met him and it can be frustrating because sometimes he doesn't get it or he reads more into a situation then what there actually is," Dean said after taking a bite out of his burger. "But you just have to be patient with him which you are by the way, you're great with him and I know that's not an easy to thing to be sometimes…"

"It gets frustrating when he thinks he's at a lower status than everybody else. I remember when Zack and Ryan," James heard Dean let out a soft growl at the mention of the two bullies and he nodded along with Dean. "He'd say sorry to them constantly and yet he never said or did a single mean thing to either one of them."

"Yeah… those two really did a number on him and James honestly, if it wasn't for you… I don't think he would have made it through as well as he did." Dean said seriously.

"Friends stick up for each other." James said simply.

"But that's just it, he's never had a friend to stick up for him before so he doesn't need you to be a therapist, he just needs you to be his friend… someone who… who he can go to sporting events with or meet girls and just be a kid… I mean not everything has to be an emotional, cry your eyes out release… it shouldn't be. Trust me, it's good when he has those moments and feels safe enough to let go of his emotions and if he does with you, awesome but him getting his driver's license or going on dates and just being happy are just as important, hell, maybe more so. He needs to be able to experience life beyond what he's been offered so far and there's only so much I can do. I'm his big brother, he knows I love him more than anything and that I accept him but for someone his own age to accept him, to want to be his friend… that's… that's shocking to him."

"It shouldn't be, he's a good guy." James responded.

Dean nodded. "I think he's slowly starting to figure that out and you've helped him with that so really James, just keep doing what you are right now and that'll be enough."

James nodded. "Yeah… thanks for talking to me."

"No problem and James, seriously, I really appreciate the fact that you care about him and are worried and want to help him." Dean said with a grateful smile on his face.

James shrugged. "What are friends for?"

Dean nodded, thanking God that there were other people out there besides himself who his brother could lean on.

* * *

Hey! So, I hope you liked the chapter, please let me know if you did or not. I'm going to update LN7 next and then I'll work on this one. Thanks again! :)


	23. Chapter 23

Hey guys!

Wow, it's been a long time and I really apologize for that... it's just I've been crazy busy and had quite a few things happen that I really could have done without so sorry. I will try to get the next chapter up sooner. I want to anyways, I don't like going this long without updating as I love writing this story. I want to thank all of you for still sticking with me even with the lack of updating in the past month and hopefully, this chapter will make up for it.

Enjoy! And please let me know what you thought of it, I love hearing your takes on what's going on and where you think the story is going to go! All of them are really appreciated! Oh, and I know I said that this story was winding down but now I'm not so sure it will be as quick as I thought. Thanks! :)

* * *

"Hey, I'm home!" Dean called dropping his keys into the small basket by the front door and walking towards the living room. He could hear that the TV was on and it gave him hope that Sam hadn't spent the entire afternoon locked in his room.

Sam turned around when he heard his brother's voice and offered up a relieved smile. He couldn't say that he had fun with Rachel but it had not been as bad as he had expected it to be. None-the-less though, he was glad Dean was home so he could start to relax again. He didn't think there would ever be somebody who could make him feel as comfortable with himself and his shyness and insecurities as his brother could and he always seemed to breathe easier when he was around.

"I brought you food." Dean said holding up the to-go bag from Ruby's and the soda.

"Oh, thanks." Sam said hopping off the couch and walking into the kitchen. He grabbed the bag and soda from Dean and pulled out one of the barstools before taking a seat. "You um… you were gone longer than I thought you'd be." Sam said quietly, hoping it didn't sound like he was accusing Dean of anything.

Dean sighed. He wasn't comfortable lying to the kid but he also didn't really think Sam would benefit from knowing that he and James had sat and had a discussion about him. The only thing that would do was add to his brother's paranoia that people were talking about him and Sam had enough ideas on his own. "Yeah, sorry the meeting ran longer than expected and then I ran into someone at Ruby's." He explained.

"Who?" Sam asked curiously as he ripped open one of the small ketchup packages and dipped a fry into the red substance.

"Just an old friend, nobody you know." Dean answered casually as he sifted through the fridge pretending to look for something so that way he wouldn't have to look at his brother when he lied to him. "Where's Rachel?" He asked looking around and not seeing her anywhere.

"I'm here," She smiled as she entered the kitchen. She walked over to the roll of paper towels on the counter and ripped one off so that she could dry her hands.

"Hey," He smiled back at her. "Ah… who made the cookies?" Dean asked a minute later, a surprised look on his face as he noticed the plate of freshly baked cookies sitting on the counter.

"We did." Rachel replied. "I thought it would help pass the time." She explained.

Dean nodded. He hadn't thought Sam would want to talk to Rachel much, if at all. The fact that they made cookies together was surprising to him.

"And I surprisingly didn't burn the house down." Sam smiled a little as he took a swig of his soda.

Dean laughed glad to see that Sam had meant it as a joke and not as a self-depreciating statement. When Sam allowed himself to, his brother actually had a pretty good sense of humor even though Sam's jokes usually weren't about the same things that other guys his age joked about. Dean didn't think Sam would ever be able to think or joke crudely about sex the way he had when he was in high school, his experiences and his self-esteem preventing him from having that immature mindset. "No, you didn't, I'm impressed." Dean joked back. He glanced at Rachel and she got the message, nodding back at him.

"Well, I should get going now that you're home." She sighed softly and collected her purse from off the back of the couch.

Dean nodded. "I'll walk you out."

"Bye Sam, have a good night 'kay…" Rachel smiled sweetly at him. She really had grown fond of the young teen over the past couple of months and did think he was a pretty cool kid. "I'll see you later." She said hoping to get Sam to look at her but failing. After his miniature break down earlier that afternoon, Sam had been pretty quiet and had kept mostly to himself, going back and forth from sitting on the couch and flipping through the TV stations to hanging out in his room. Rachel wasn't sure if Sam believed her or not about their conversation earlier but hoped he did, she had meant everything she had said to him.

Dean nodded discreetly toward the door, observing and understanding Sam's shy behavior. It was usually pretty easy for him to read the kid and figure out when the stimulation and atmosphere was just getting to be too much for him to handle. Sam's quirks usually made more appearances when he was in a larger group rather than just with a few people and Dean was glad that Sam was making progress socially, even if it was baby steps. "I'll be back in a minute, okay?" He said and Sam nodded in response.

"Bye." He muttered letting his bangs fall into his eyes.

Dean smiled softly at his brother before he and Rachel headed down the hall and out the front door. "How'd it go?" He asked as they stood beside her car in the driveway. He had called Sam before he had entered the restaurant and met with James and his brother had sounded alright but he knew how Sam sometimes liked to try and hide his fears, even from Dean.

"He was okay, I think. I mean, like you said, he didn't really talk all that much but he seemed okay." She answered. Rachel hadn't been around Sam enough to be able to 'decode' his behavior but she hoped that he had been alright and she didn't feel comfortable telling Dean about Sam's crying session feeling like that was something Sam should do, not her.

"I'm sure he was fine." Dean smiled at her. Sam's eyes hadn't been red-rimmed when he'd walked in the door and Dean always took that as a good sign.

"No problem, I had fun and I was glad I could help you guys out." She smiled back at him.

Dean leaned forward and brushed a quick and friendly kiss against Rachel's cheek as he hugged her. "Thank you again, I really appreciate it."

Rachel shook her head. As far as she was concerned, there was nothing to thank her for. Sam and Dean were her friends and it was part of her 'job' as their friend to be there for them when they needed her. She opened her car door and gently tossed her purse into the backseat. "Take care, okay and call me later." She smiled again before climbing into her car and driving off.

Dean stood there, watching, for a moment before he turned to go back inside.

~DW/SW~

"So…" Sam asked as Dean returned into the living room and took a seat beside his brother on the couch.

"So what?" Dean asked as he channel-surfed, kicking his boots off and putting his feet up on the coffee table.

"How did it go?" Sam asked hesitantly. Past parent-teacher conferences usually ended with his 'father' coming home and being angry for causing the teachers concern. Of course, none of them had ever been concerned enough to ask him what was going on so he doubted that they had been _that _worried about his well-being. Sam shook his head thinking _that's the past. _Sam knew without a doubt that Dean would never beat him or cause him harm but he still wondered what his teachers had to say about him and how Dean was going to react to it.

"Good," Dean answered honestly, noticing as he did so that Sam seemed a little wary of his answer. He could imagine that his brother's parents, he used that term lightly, had never really cared before and couldn't have been too happy when they were forced to meet with Sam's teachers. Dean really wanted to have a little one-on-one time with those losers, he was sure he could teach them a lesson or two. He shook his head focusing on the here and now rather than the past. He smiled a little when he saw that Sam was giving him a funny look. "What? Did you think they were all going to tell me how much they hate you?" He asked.

Sam shrugged.

"First off, you know Mike likes you and so do the rest of your teachers… all of 'em had very nice things to say, trust me." Dean reassured.

"Like what?" He asked with a small smile on his face.

"Just that you're a good student, you try and do your work and that you're one of the few who they can count on to be nice to everybody in the class." Dean explained. "As your math teacher put it, 'you're a joy to teach'."

Sam laughed a little, sure that that was a bit of an exaggeration but he'd take what he could get. "Did they ask when I'm coming back?" He bit his lip in worry. He didn't want to go back yet but he knew that he would probably have to go soon since he'd already missed so much school and really there wasn't that much time left in the semester.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, we talked about that."

"And what did you say?" Sam asked.

"We um… we think maybe next week, maybe Thursday or Friday… you should go just to kind of ease you back into it. What do you think?" Dean asked.

"I don't ever want to go back and a part of me wishes we could move away from here but I know that's not possible so…" He drifted off.

"Yeah, moving is out of the picture and I don't think it would be helpful for you Sam." He looked at Sam and sighed. "If we moved, you would have to start all over and I don't think that's what you want to do because you do have friends and people who care about you here, right?"

Sam nodded. "I know." He turned his head away as he thought about James. James called him pretty much every day, even if it was only for five minutes to just check in with him and he looked forward to the calls from his friend. It was nice knowing that somebody out there was thinking about him and actually made the effort to reach out to him. James had done so much for him by simply being nice to him and Sam highly doubted that James would ever truly understand what their friendship meant to him.

Dean kind of doubted his brother did but didn't say anything as he watched Sam turn away. He didn't look sad and Dean hoped that Sam was beginning to have a positive viewpoint of his self-image. "They ah… they mentioned something at the meeting and I told them I had to run it by you first." Sam looked up, a frown on his face as he wondered what it could have been. "It's nothing to worry about, nothing bad but Al suggested you start a new class."

"What class?" Sam asked, interested if not a little cautious.

Dean sighed, explaining this to his brother without making the kids self-esteem drop was going to be hard. "It would be like the resource class you're in but you wouldn't really have an assigned time to go to it during the day." He explained.

Sam looked confused. "How does that work?"

"Al said that it could either just be a place you went to off and on when you needed to or if we wanted, it could take the place of his class." Dean answered.

Sam nodded. "So, it's another resource class?" He asked trying to figure out what Dean was saying. He wasn't sure what he thought of that word. The other students in his class didn't seem to mind being in the class and it hadn't affected their popularity levels any but for him, it was more than a class, it was another way he was different from his peers, especially his friends since none of them were in it.

"Pretty much… it's ah, it's just a little more intense is all, I think." Dean said.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"It's more of a counseling place rather than an actual class." Dean glanced at his brother and sighed. "Sammy…" Sam cut him off.

"What… do they think me going to a therapist once a week isn't enough? Now, I have to do it at school too?" He asked. It wasn't that he didn't like Diane; he just didn't know what good more of it would do. He had seen her twice since they'd come back from the safe house. The first time, he'd broken down in tears but had been unable to explain to Dean or Dr. Boston why he had. A couple days later, he and Dean had finally had 'their' talk. "They afraid I'm going to blow up and attack someone?" He asked huffing.

"No, I don't think that's it Sam… I just think that they want you to have someplace at school that can be designated as your 'listening place'." Dean smiled a little as he did the air quotes. "And at first I wasn't sure if this was a good thing but I think it could be… I want you to feel safe at school Sam, physically, mentally, and emotionally."

"I do feel safe at school." Sam said interrupting his brother.

Dean quirked his brow at Sam and said, "Do you?" He asked in a non-accusatory tone of voice. "Because, I think if you really did feel safe there, you wouldn't be so scared to go back."

Sam looked at Dean before turning away from him, not wanting Dean to see that he had hit the nail on the head.

"Or leave the house." Dean said causing Sam to turn sharply back to look at him again. "And I don't mean to go to therapy Sam or to get your cast off. I mean leave the house as in hanging out with your friends again, taking Ace on walks… doing things you want to do. When are you going to just stand in the driveway or hell, even the garage again? Come with me to get the mail?"

Sam blinked back tears. It was true, the only time he'd left the house so far were the two times he'd gone to see Diane and when he had to get the cast on his leg removed and even then, Dean had practically had to fight with him to get him to walk the few feet to the car. Once he was in the car, Sam had slumped down in his seat, refusing to look out the window scared of who or what he might see. And yeah, he didn't even go out in the garage anymore, his punching bag had been left untouched for a while now and the backyard… he never threw a ball for Ace to fetch anymore preferring to stay locked inside where he could observe what was going on without having to actually participate. "I don't know." He answered hastily wiping away a couple of tears.

Dean scooted closer to Sam on the couch and put his arm around him. "It's okay to go outside Sam… you're just as safe in the yard as you are in your room, I promise." He gave Sam a little squeeze and then rested his head on top of his brothers.

"Yeah…" Sam replied snuggling closer to Dean wondering when he was actually going to follow through on that. He kind of doubted it would be anytime soon.

~DW/SW~

"I'll wait out here, okay?" Dean smiled reassuringly as he took a seat in Dr. Boston's waiting room.

Sam nodded still standing in front of his brother, his gaze focused on his feet. He knew the drill; he knew how this was supposed to work. He sighed as he looked around before shaking his head and walking down the hall. He stopped just short of her door and looked back at his brother who gave him a small nod of encouragement before he reluctantly stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Hey Sam," Diane greeted him with a smile.

Sam gave her a small smile in return. He had been surprised to find himself back in her office those couple weeks back. He'd thought after they'd said goodbye last summer, he'd be strong enough to deal with his problems without having to consult a professional. _No, there's nothing wrong with needing to talk to someone_ Sam thought trying to convince himself that just because he was back in therapy, it didn't mean he was weak or had somehow failed.

Diane discreetly observed Sam as he walked to the mini-refrigerator she had and took out a coke before he crossed the room and sat down on the couch, his legs folded up underneath him. Sam popped the tab on the can and took a drink before holding it on his lap staring at his drink.

"So, how are you today?" She asked sitting down in her own chair and starting the session.

Sam shrugged.

"Is that an 'okay' shrug or an 'I don't know' shrug?" She asked softly.

Sam was quiet as he turned the drink in his hands.

"Sam," Diane prodded.

"I don't know." He finally answered. "I mean… I don't know how I feel today er well… I just… I still haven't left the house yet… well, except to come here and I don't know how that makes me feel because part of me does want to be able to walk out the front door without feeling like I'm going to break out into a cold sweat but then, why should I risk it?"

Diane nodded; glad Sam had done more than just give her a one or two-word sentence. When Sam had talked to her last week, he'd only briefly mentioned that he hadn't returned to many of his 'normal' activities yet but had only shaken his head when she'd asked him why he felt unsure about returning to his normal schedule refusing to discuss it any further. "Have you talked to your friends recently?" She asked, hoping that he would tell her that he had made some sort of contact with someone as she didn't like the idea of him sitting at home all day, that wasn't healthy or how he was going to move past this.

Sam nodded. "James and I talk on the phone every night." He answered before taking another drink of his soda.

"That's good Sam." She smiled encouragingly. She knew from one of their previous sessions that James was Sam's closest friend besides Dean. "Do you call him?"

Sam shook his head. "No… he always has to call me."

"Why is that?" She asked.

"'Cause I don't call him." Sam answered, smiling at the obvious explanation.

"Why don't you call him?" Dr. Boston asked. She had an idea of why he hadn't initiated any of the contact yet but wanted to hear his own reasoning on it before she drew her conclusions.

"I don't know… some weird part of me is scared that he'll suddenly not want to talk, I guess." Sam explained. "I mean, I know that that's ridiculous because why would he call me every night if he didn't really want to talk so I know I'm just being paranoid but I don't know…" He sighed and shook his head, his bangs falling into his face. That was him, Mr. Paranoid and Self-conscious.

"What about seeing him face to face?" She asked. "You told me you hung out with him a couple weeks ago, what about since then?"

Sam shook his head no. James hadn't been over again since the night Sam had told him the small bit about his past.

"Are you scared to see him again?" Dr. Boston asked.

Sam shrugged. "Not really." He answered. It was more that he just didn't want to have to see other people. "He um… he invited me to go hang out with him and the rest of our friends this weekend."

"Oh, doing what?" Diane questioned, smiling a little and hoping that Sam would go out with his friends.

"He didn't say… he just said that it's been a while since the rest have seen me and they're anxious to." Sam answered.

"Do you want to see them?" She asked.

"I don't know." Sam said glancing up at his therapist and one of the few people he'd grown to trust. "I guess a part of me does."

"What about the other part?" Dr. Boston questioned.

"I don't want to be a recluse but I just… it's safer at home." Sam replied quietly.

"What makes it safer?" She asked tilting her head to the side a little.

Sam shrugged. "I know what to expect, there's no surprises…" He drifted off as he stood up and walked over to the trash bin to throw his coke away.

"What do you mean by surprises?" Dr. Boston shifted on the couch, pushing her hair back behind her ears.

"I know whose there… and I know what they want from me and I can say who is allowed to be there and who isn't." He answered. "And now, I'm not sure what's going to happen." Though the look on his face said that he had some idea as to what it could be.

Diane nodded. "What do you think that they want from you?" She asked.

Sam bit his lip and rearranged himself on the couch. "I don't know… James says that they just want to be friends ya know but it's just… it's confusing."

"What is?" She asked him glad that Sam was still talking to her. This could end up being his most productive session to date.

"I… I told James what had happened er well, not really in detail but I told him I'd been in foster care and everything." Sam replied surprising Dr. Boston. She had not expected him to open up like that but was happy that he had done so. She nodded for him to continue. "And well, I don't really know how to explain it to my other friends." Tears slowly filled his eyes and he wiped them away. "I know James hasn't told them anything, I asked him not to and I don't think he's said anything."

Dr. Boston smiled. From the sounds of it, James was just the kind of friend Sam needed and she was happy to hear that Sam had trusted him with something like that. She knew Sam had major trust issues and that it was a big leap for him to have told someone other than Dean or herself and then believe them when they said that they hadn't repeated it to anyone. "Here Sam," She said handing him a tissue, an understanding smile on her face. She knew this was hard for him, trying to decipher how he was supposed to be and what others thought of him, his past and present experiences fighting each other for influence.

"Do you want to tell them what's happened?" She asked after Sam had had a moment to collect himself.

Sam shook his head before looking Dr. Boston in the eye. "No, I didn't really want to tell James but I wanted him to know the real story but the others… I don't think I can go through saying it again and so I guess, they'll just have to choose which side to believe, me or the gossips."

"Which side do you think they'll believe?" Dr. Boston asked.

"I hope they'll believe me… and… and I think they will. I mean, like Dean says, they stood by me before so why wouldn't they do so now…" He drifted off and Dr. Boston could tell that he had something else he wanted to say. "Dr. B?" Sam asked sounding hesitant.

"Yes Sam?" She replied leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs.

"How many of your patients have been like me? You know, been… been raped and were boys?" He asked before he dropped his eyes to the carpet. He still hated saying that word, _raped_, and tried to avoid it when he could.

"Quite a few Sam, why do you ask?" She asked curiously.

Sam shrugged. "I'm trying to figure something out."

Dr. Boston nodded but didn't push him to tell her what it was he was working on. Today, he'd done pretty well talking on his own and she hoped that he would continue to do so.

"One of my friends in… in my group is a girl. She's the only girl in our group but she fits right in. She's so cool and she talked to me on the very first day when no one else did, well James did but… Anyways, I like her… a lot but I'm scared of her. Does that make sense?" He asked looking back up at his therapist, new tears shining in her eyes.

"Yeah it does Sam. Does it make sense to you?" She asked him.

Sam nodded and then a couple seconds later, he shook his head no. "I think she's the one I'm the most scared to see because what if she's changed her mind." He saw the curious expression Dr. Boston was giving him and continued. "She asked me to the school dance before… before all this," He said motioning to the cast that still remained on his arm. His leg cast had come off the week prior and he hoped to have the one on his arm gone soon too. "And now, if I hang out with them and she's there… I'm scared that maybe she'll regret having asked me and I don't want her to. I don't want to lose her." He finished softly. "Or for her to stick around in pity.

Dr. Boston studied Sam for a moment. This was a problem that she came across quite frequently in her line of work, especially when the victim was a male who thought he was straight. They were scared that because they had been raped by men, people would assume that they were gay and when they tried to get a girlfriend or started to have feelings for someone of the opposite gender, they themselves would get confused and not know if what they were feeling was real or just some consequence of the rape. She'd found that many of her male patients, especially those who were gay faced their own problems as well with trying to figure out where their sexuality lied and she'd had quite a few of them fear themselves or be told that the only reason why they were gay was because that was the only thing they knew. As hard as a subject this was, she was glad Sam was asking questions and trying to deal with his concerns rather than stay mum about it and never really get it out in the open.

"Sam," She started causing him to look up at her, his face red and tear-streaked. Dr. Boston stood, grabbing the box of tissues and walking over to the couch where Sam was.

"Th… thank you." He stuttered taking the offered tissue.

Dr. Boston smiled warmly at him as she considered how to start her response. "Have you asked James about her?" She asked deciding to start with trying to see if Sam had any indication to the girl's current feelings.

Sam nodded. "He says she misses me but…" He drifted off and shrugged.

Dr. Boston nodded. James didn't sound like the type to lie or tell Sam that someone felt a certain way just to try and hurt him later. "If it's only her that you are afraid of seeing, then why don't you ask to hang out with just the guys in your group?"

Sam looked up at Dr. Boston. "But what if she thinks I don't want to see her?"

"Well, you don't, right… not yet anyways?" She asked and Sam nodded again. "Okay, so you could get a feel for maybe how the rest of your friends are and see what they have to say about her and then once you're comfortable with them again, then maybe you'll feel okay with seeing her. What do you say, do you want to give it a try?"

Sam shrugged. Kate had understood before when he'd had a 'guy's night' but would she now or would her feelings be hurt that he had excluded her. He didn't want to hurt her but he was terrified of getting hurt himself. She was the only girl his age that had ever paid attention to him and if she had changed her mind, then he would rather just keep the good memories and avoid her.

There was a knock on the door. "Ah Sam?" Dean called, sounding unsure.

Sam glanced at the clock and realized that they had actually gone a bit over today. "I guess I should get going, hunh?" He said as he made to stand.

Dr. Boston stood with Sam and smiled softly. She had known that his session had ended ten minutes ago but she didn't have someone else scheduled for another half hour and she hadn't wanted to abruptly end this conversation knowing it was important to Sam. "I'll see you next week okay and remember Sam, just take it one day at time and see how that goes, okay?"

Sam nodded before he walked over to the door and turned the knob.

~DW/SW~

A couple days had passed since Sam's conversation with Dr. Boston and he had been trying to figure out if he was going to follow her advice or simply remain alone in his house with only his brother and his dog for company for only-god-knows-how-long. When Dean had seen Sam's puffy eyes and wet cheeks when he'd walked out of her office, he had demanded to know what was wrong and had afterwards in Sam's mind, sided with her. He had agreed that it would do him good to get out of the house and see people and that if he didn't want someone to come to that particular outing, all he had to do was say so. He wasn't being rude, he was simply controlling his environment which was why he was now sitting across from one of his friends, wondering what it was he was going to say should James ask him if he was going to join them this weekend.

Sure enough, not a half hour had passed before the subject Sam dreaded was brought up. "So, have you thought about it?" James asked chewing on the end of his pen. He knew Sam would be reluctant about it, he had suggested that he start hanging out with the gang again but Sam always had an excuse not to.

Sam looked away, biting his lip nervously. "Who's going?" He asked, wondering if all of them would be happy to see him or if there would be someone who would want him to leave.

"So far, it looks like all of us are." James answered. "C'mon man, they wanna see you okay, I promise I'm not lying to you or pulling your leg or whatever 'kay?"

"Maybe…" Sam said causing James to sigh.

"Aren't you bored here… sitting around all day? Don't you wanna get out and go do stuff?" He asked.

Sam looked up at his friend. "I don't know James… it's just, this is home. It's… it's safe here… I don't know what to expect if I go out there again and I don't think I want to find out."

James shook his head. "So what, you'd rather just sit here all day, on this couch watching TV and not talking to or seeing anybody? Aren't you lonely?"

Sam looked away as he shook his head no. The truth was that he was insanely lonely and bored but he didn't know what to expect and that scared him. He and Dean no longer took Ace for his hour long runs down at the lake or walked into town to grab something to eat. It wasn't for Dean's lack of trying, he'd suggested everyday that they go out and do something but Sam had stubbornly refused, terrified of stepping foot outside his house.

"Right," James grumbled sarcastically as he glanced at the clock. "I gotta get to practice, let me know if you change your mind and do decide to get off your ass, 'kay?" His tone was a bit harsher than he had wanted it to be and sighed when he saw Sam slump his shoulders. _Great_ he thought, now mad at himself. "I'm not mad Sam… I just… I don't know… I'll call you later." He added softly and grabbed his backpack walking out the front door.

Sam stared at James, feeling a bit taken back. He hadn't meant to upset James, he was just scared. He watched James leave and put his head back wondering just how badly he had screwed up this time.

* * *

Hey! So, how was that? I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I will try to update soon! Thanks again for reading and I hope to hear what you thought! :)


	24. Chapter 24

Hey guys! Here's the next chapter... I had my last final on Thursday so I am hoping that now that school is done for the year (Yeah!) I will be able to update more and get chapters out to you guys sooner! Anyways, this chapter is pretty heavy duty on Sam and Dean so I hope you all will enjoy it.

Thank You so much for all of your support! I'm really flattered to have it and I love getting/reading your reviews! I have a couple of questions though regarding your thoughts on this story and what you would like to come after. I am thinking of having two more stories in this series, one centered around Sam's senior year in high school and the other around him in college... what I'm wondering before I make a final decision regarding whether or not I should write them, is how many of you would be willing or would like to read two more stories from this series? I can assure you that they would not be a repeat of this story... I already have the major plots for them planned out and such so what do you think? Thanks for any help you can give me on this matter and of course for taking the time to read this story!

Enough of my rambling, enjoy! :)

* * *

"Sam?" Swallowing thickly, Sam turned around to see his brother standing in the doorway with a concerned look on his face. "He left." He explained simply, it was almost as if he were in shock, before he dropped his gaze to his hands, suddenly finding them to be the most interesting object in the room. He couldn't believe it, his friend, his closest friend besides his brother had just upped and left. He felt like someone had just ripped the floor out from beneath him and he didn't have anywhere to land… now what was he supposed to do?_ I trusted him_ Sam thought beginning to second-guess himself. It had taken him a great deal of courage to tell James that he had been a foster child and had been abused and now he wasn't so sure that had been the smartest move. _I'm surprised it's taken him this long to leave_ Sam's fractured psyche thought as the doubt about the validity of his friendship with the young man began to circulate.

Dean nodded absently as he stood in the hall doorway, watching as his brother deflated before him. This was what he had been afraid of, that something minor would happen that most people would just brush off and say 'oh well' but he knew that Sam wasn't going to be able to just brush this off. The problem was that his brother wasn't just anybody who had had simple arguments before. He'd practically never gotten into a disagreement or a minor fight with someone and then made up with them ten minutes or a day later. Almost all of the fights Sam had experienced in his life either ended with him getting beaten or being abandoned and he was worried about what Sam thought was going to happen now.

Dean slowly walked over to the couch taking in Sam's withdrawn form and the way he seemed to look at the door every few minutes as if he was either willing James to walk back in or expected Dean to leave too. He sat down beside Sam casually dropping his arm onto the back of the couch and around his brother's shoulders but instead of feeling Sam roll towards him like he had expected him to, Sam slowly inched away causing Dean to frown. He wasn't sure why Sam was being so evasive to him right now and was hoping that this little incident hadn't caused them to backtrack at all. They'd had enough recent setbacks to last them for a very long time, he felt.

"I um… I think I'm gonna go take a shower." Sam said quietly as he stood, avoiding looking Dean in the face.

"Okay," Dean nodded, biting his lip and wishing he knew what his brother was thinking and how to help him. "I'll get some dinner going, okay. Sloppy Joes sound alright to you?" He asked.

Sam shrugged. "I'm not all that hungry." He mumbled.

"Sam," Dean started.

"Dean," Sam said in an almost pleading and saddened tone of voice.

Reluctantly, Dean nodded and let Sam retreat to the safety of his room. Sighing, he glanced over at Ace who looked as if he almost knew that things were not as good as they could be right now. "Don't worry boy, we'll get him going again." Dean muttered to himself mostly trying to not feel so discouraged by what had happened.

Ace got up from where he was lying in the corner and walked over to Dean, licking the back of his hand.

"Yeah, I guess you're not half bad either, hunh?" He said before scratching Ace behind the ears. "You hungry, I'm hungry." Dean stood and figured that the best thing he could do for the moment seeing as how Sam didn't want to talk was to just proceed as normal.

~DW/SW~

Sam stood in the bathroom watching as the shower water ran and pooled around the drain. He turned it up to as high as he could stand and climbed in. He felt tired, worn-out, and unsure of what he should do next and leaned against the tiled wall. _Why can't I get it right?_ Sam thought to himself. He wanted to be friends with James, he truly did. He wanted to go out on the weekends and have a life beyond being scared of anything that wasn't _home_ but he was petrified of what would happen to him should he leave the safety of his house. And socializing now seemed even harder than it had on his first day of school when he'd wanted to run after Dean and beg not to be left with _those _people and instead to be home schooled. Sam closed his eyes as he wondered what it would be like to have Dean's level of self-confidence. He remembered the party that he and Dean had gone to the same day Dean had officially been granted custody of him and had seen how easily people gravitated towards his brother and how Dean had seemed to really enjoy the attention. He wanted to be that guy, at least a little bit, not afraid to start a conversation or just sit back with somebody.

Sam opened his eyes and growled, growing more and more irritated with himself and turned to completely face the wall letting the spray hit his back. There were only a handful of people who he felt he could actually be himself around and still be accepted, in fact that list was so short that he could count every person on one hand: Dean, Mike, Sean, Dr. Boston and at times James. James… Sam desperately hoped that he hadn't ruined his friendship with the young man knowing that if he had, his chances of making another friend like him were slim. Sam remembered the first time he'd met James and realized that that day felt as if it had been forever ago.

Sean had scored tickets to a nearby town's baseball game. He had offered two of the tickets to Sam and Dean and Dean had readily accepted them even though Sam wasn't so sure about the whole deal. There were bound to people there, a large amount he wouldn't know but Dean had convinced him that it would be fun and something they hadn't done before. Sean had brought his own guest to the game, his brother-in-law's younger brother James. Sam had sat scrunched up next to his brother on the bleachers, jumping at any sudden noise and bristling whenever someone walked by him, at least for the first part of it, and had been wary of the new person in 'his' group. But Sean had brought him and surely Sean wouldn't bring someone to meet Sam who he didn't think would be nice and Sam used that to calm a small portion of his fears. Plus, Dean had been right beside him the entire time and hadn't acted embarrassed when Sam would occasionally lean against him and put his head on his shoulder making Sam feel a bit more reassured that he was in a safe environment.

Dean explained the rules of the game and such to him and Sam had eventually found himself calming enough to actually be able to take in the game. He wasn't sure which team he should be rooting for but it didn't seem to matter, he just cheered when his brother did. Sam wasn't sure when but at some point, James had managed to switch seats with Sean and had sat next to Sam and had started talking, almost nonstop, about the different players, who was good and who he hoped would strike out and which team he wanted to win. At first, it had almost been too much for Sam to have someone he didn't know that close to him but with gentle, reassuring smiles from his big brother Sam had eventually tuned into what James was saying and would occasionally ask him to explain what was going on. He had been shocked to receive patient, if not enthusiastic, explanations and answers to his questions rather than snooty and quick responses followed by eye rolls. Before they'd left, Sam had surprised his brother when he'd thanked Sean for the tickets and for inviting them. He'd also told James that it was nice to meet him. James had just smiled and said, "you too" making Sam smile a little wider. If he had known then what kind of friend James would turn out to be, Sam was sure he would have enjoyed himself just a tad bit better.

Realizing that he had let the water run cold, Sam shut it off and stepped out of the shower grabbing the t-shirt and pajama pants he'd snagged from his room a couple minutes earlier. He wasn't sure what he felt like he should do… call his friend and beg for a second chance or wait for James to call. Sam just didn't know and felt the beginnings of one of his anxiety attacks starting. Sam hung his head and breathed deep, just like how Dr. Boston and Dean had taught him. He gripped the edge of the counter tightly, making his knuckles turn white and counted silently to ten. Once Sam felt like his moment of panic had passed, he sighed again and opened the bathroom door crossing the hall to his room where he shut the door and lied down on his bed, intent on sleeping the rest of the day away.

~DW/SW~

Dean stood over the stove cooking what was to be tonight's dinner. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was a little before seven and then glanced down the hall. Sam had gone into his bathroom over an hour ago and hadn't come out yet. He'd seen Sam in the hall and had smiled only to get no reply from the kid, not even a silent wave. He turned the stove off and put the burgers on a plate before covering it with tin foil and sticking it in the fridge, no longer feeling hungry himself. Running a tired hand through his hair, Dean quickly cleaned up the kitchen and then quietly walked down the hall to peek into Sam's room.

He smiled a little when he saw his brother curled up on top of his covers, his arms wrapped around Ace's neck and using the dog's solid body as a pillow. The stuffed animal that now slept wherever Sam did was sitting on the top of his pillow just above Sam's head. Dean tiptoed closer and grabbed the blanket from off the end of his bed draping it over Sam and tucking him in, careful not to wake him. "Sweet dreams Sammy." Dean whispered softly before he left, leaving the door open a crack in case Ace needed to get out.

~DW/SW~

Dean was woken up when he heard scratching at his door sometime later. Glancing at his nightstand, he saw that it was just past one thirty in the morning. _What the hell is that?_ He wondered as he wiped the sleep from his eyes and opened his bedroom door only to see Ace sitting right outside. "What do you need boy? You gotta go outside?" Dean asked quietly, not wanting to wake his brother. He was surprised that so far Sam was managing a night in his own bed, that hadn't happened since before the attack at the diner and he hoped that this was a small sign that Sam was continuing to heal from it. Dean's own nightmares had started to ease up and he hoped that Sam's would follow suit. Then there was the fact that Sam was still asleep even after having gone to bed so early, Dean just blamed it on a rough day and hoped that the good night's sleep would help Sam come morning.

Believing that Ace needed to be let outside, Dean walked towards the backdoor and opened it only to realize that Ace wasn't behind him. He shut the door and locked it before returning inside. "Ace?" He called and a moment later, heard what sounded like whimpering. He followed the sound and found the dog sitting inside the doorway to Sam's room. It was then that he realized that the whimpering wasn't coming from the dog but from his brother. Ace had simply noticed how upset Sam was and had gone to get help, it appeared. _You good dog_ Dean thought before turning his attention to his brother. "Oh Sammy," He sighed before making his way to the bed. It didn't look like Sam was sleeping so that ruled out a nightmare but that really didn't ease Dean's sense of worry at all.

Sam was kneeling hunched over on his bed, his face pressed against the bedcovers and his hands curled into fists at his side by his head. He was making a strange keening sound that sounded undeniably heart breaking to the older brother as Sam's fists occasionally pounded against his mattress in anguish.

"Sammy," Dean called as he hesitantly reached out and placed a hand on Sam's back noticing that the phone was lying next to Sam on the bed. _Shit_ Dean thought wondering what, if anything, had transpired while he'd been asleep.

Sam seemed to tense for a moment but then relaxed as he realized it was only Dean.

Dean crouched beside his brother's bed gently running a hand up and down Sam's spine hoping to comfort him, at least a little. "Hey Sammy, what is it kiddo?" He asked in the soft, caring tone of voice that he only reserved for his brother. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Sam didn't answer and fisted his bed sheets tighter.

"Did you call someone?" He guessed nodding at the phone even though Sam couldn't see him.

"He… he…" Sam shook his head against the sheets and didn't continue whatever it was he was going to say though Dean could guess who the 'he' was.

Slowly, Dean moved closer until he was sitting perched on the side of the bed, one hand still on Sam's back and the other on the top of his head. "You gotta breathe Sam." He said beginning to worry. This wasn't just crying, his brother was full on sobbing and Dean desperately wanted to get rid of whatever had caused his brother this much distress. "Can you do that Sammy? Can you take one big deep breath for me?" He asked knowing that if he could get one breath, he could get two and that would certainly help in preventing Sam from hyperventilating.

A minute or two later, though it felt longer to Dean, Sam took a shaky breath followed by a second one though he still remained curled up on his bed, not looking at Dean. Dean was relieved enough that Sam's breathing now seemed under control that he let the lack of eye contact go… for right now, at least.

"That's it Sammy, just breathe okay. Just breathe. It's all gonna be okay alright, you just gotta breathe for me is all." Dean coached waiting until Sam seemed a little bit calmer before continuing. "You wanna tell me what's got you so worked up?" He asked concerned.

Sam was quiet but right as Dean was about to repeat his request, Sam answered. "I didn't mean to make him mad." Sam started in a shaky tone of voice, his eyes still cast downward. "I swear I didn't. I swear." Sam moved so that he was lying on his side, his back to Dean.

"You didn't." Dean argued after having figured out that Sam was talking about what had happened earlier. James had looked upset when Dean had caught a glimpse of him before he'd left but Dean was pretty sure that it wasn't for the same reasons Sam were thinking. Now, he just had to convince his brother of that. "Come here." He said gently tugging on Sam's forearms in a silent gesture.

Sam brought himself up so he was now on his hands and knees, much like a little child, and crawled his way over to Dean who had settled himself at the head of Sam's bed.

"You didn't make him mad Sammy, there's a difference between mad and frustrated." Dean explained, unsure if Sam would understand what he was trying to say.

Sam shook his head against Dean's chest from where he'd settled himself in his brother's normally secure and reassuring embrace.

Dean heard Sam whimper and felt the tell-tale signs that Sam was fighting back the urge to cry as he began to tremble again. _Shit_ Dean sighed as he prepared himself for another set of water works. He had known the moment that James had left that Sam was going to be upset but this, this was way worse than anything he could have imagined.

_1… 2… 3…_ and right on cue, the tears started up again though Dean doubted they'd ever truly stopped. Sam quickly let go of Dean's arm and brought his hands up to cover his face effectively hiding himself from his big brother and consequently, the world. Dean watched and felt it as Sam's shoulders hitched up and down as he cried. Dean hated this, he hated feeling so desperately hopeless with his inability to help Sam feel better and his heart ached at the scene that was unfolding before him. He let out a small sigh and then tugged Sam back over into his lap, wrapping solid arms around him. "Shh, you're okay kid… come on now, you're alright." He comforted as he lightly rubbed his brother's back. "Shh, it's okay Sammy, it's okay."

Sam trembled and was quiet for several minutes, save for the occasional sniffle. He still had his arms wrapped around himself as he pressed his face into the inside of his brother's neck. "Shh Sam, hush kiddo, hush… it's okay, shh." Dean soothed as he gently rubbed the base of Sam's neck trying to help his very distraught brother calm down a little. Slowly, Sam came out from behind his hands and brought a hand up to fist Dean's shirt, tucking his other hand underneath his head where it rested against Dean's collarbone.

"Come on Sammy, talk to me." Dean pleaded as he gently stroked his brother's arm feeling very worried for Sam's well-being and state of mind.

"Why… why does everybody leave me?" Sam asked his voice muffled both by his sobs and the fabric of his brother's shirt.

Dean tightened his arms around Sam a bit and sighed before he moved a hand up to cradle the back of Sam's head. He could feel it in his brother's neck and shoulders how tense he was. "That's not true." He countered.

Sam pulled back only slightly so that he was able to quickly glance up at his brother's face but didn't remove Dean's arm from around him. "It isn't?" He asked, a part of him sounded angry. "I've been left or 'returned' more times than I care to think about." He shook his head unsure of what he wanted to say or how to phrase it. "I should have known…" He drifted off.

"What about me? I haven't left you." Dean provided figuring that he was a good starting point for his argument.

"One person, wow… I'm a real keeper, aren't I?" Sam let out a sarcastic smile before his face dropped again. "I'm sorry…" He said quietly. "I'm sorry… I… I didn't mean it like that. I'm glad you're still here, that you've stuck around but why can't more people? Am I really that hard to be around?" He asked and Dean wasn't sure if Sam was looking for an answer or not.

"James didn't leave you Sam, I know it feels like he did but I promise you, he didn't." Dean started knowing that chances were Sam was going to argue against that.

"Yes, he did." Sam responded stubbornly. With his cried out voice and puffy eyes, he appeared more like a petulant child than anything else Dean thought.

"No, he didn't." Two could play the stubborn game. "He said he had to get to practice and that he'd call you later. He didn't leave you." Dean repeated his voice stronger now as he argued his case.

Sam was quiet as he looked away. "But he didn't call." He glanced to the phone that was still lying beside him.

"Sammy, did you try and call him?" Dean asked, praying the answer would be no because he highly doubted James or his family wanted to be woken up at one-thirty in the morning,

Sam shook his head, wiping his arm across his face.

"Sammy, he did call." Dean saw the confused look on his brother's face and was now wishing that he had woken Sam up. "He called a little bit after eight… you were asleep so I told him you'd call him in the morning."

"Oh." Sam bit his lip, unsure what to think with that information thrown into the mix.

"And I don't think he's mad at you Sam… I think he just wants to see you do more, just like the rest of us." Dean offered, wondering how long it would take him to convince Sam that that was the truth and to prove to him that he wasn't being abandoned again.

Sam sniffled and remained quiet. James had sounded mad and that was all that had mattered to him and he bit his lip again, twisting his face a little. He didn't want James to be mad at him but he wasn't sure what he had done wrong or what he could do to say sorry and tell him that he'd never do it again so long as James forgave him. He didn't know how many more 'second chances' he was going to get.

Dean sighed and threaded his fingers through Sam's hair soothingly, glad that the body-wracking sobs had ceased even if Sam's nose was still a bit runny and his cheeks were wet. There was a sad silence hanging between them for the next couple of minutes as Dean contemplated how to help Sam through this latest turn of events. His mom had used to say that parenting was like having a map that had had the routes erased because there wasn't any guaranteed way to go that worked for every child and Sam was no exception to that.

"One time, Mike and I got in this huge fight," Dean started. He wasn't even sure Sam was listening to him at this point but he had to give it a try. "I don't even remember what it was about, I just know that the two of us were pissed at each other and we started throwing punches. We each ended up with a busted lip and a black eye to show for it…" Dean drifted off as he felt Sam wiggle around a little, presumably trying to get more comfortable, and smiled when Sam quickly glanced up at him. He ran a thumb over Sam's cheeks drying the tears that were still lingering there. "What, I'm trying to say Sammy is that friends fight and have disagreements all the time kid… that's part of what friendship is, is problem solving. Just because of this, it doesn't mean that you guys aren't friends anymore Sam." Dean tried to explain.

"I doubt that." Sam muttered quietly. He was sure that James would start to get sick of him and all his baggage soon, if he wasn't already tired of it. "Did you and Mike make up?" He asked a couple minutes later causing Dean to let out a little laugh. He thought that answer was just a tad bit obvious.

"Yup and he's still my best friend." Dean answered with a fond smile on his face.

Sam looked up at Dean as his eyes started to fill with tears again. "I thought I was…" He said softly and looking so uncertain that it pulled at Dean's heartstrings.

Dean knew Sam had attachment issues and would probably always have at least a bit of separation anxiety, probably mostly towards him, as it was a direct result from essentially not having anyone who loved him for the majority of his life to suddenly being the center of one person's entire world. It made Dean wonder how it would affect Sam's choice to go to college but he stowed that conversation away for another day. They still had two more years to go before Sam was even out of high school. He had his hands full at the moment trying to discuss the ups and downs of friendship with his brother and so did not need to add in the worry of Sam possibly not living at home. Hell, he wasn't sure how he was going to handle that when the time came.

Dean had read about abused children's misconceptions with social situations and how they usually assumed what went wrong was caused by some action of theirs. Of course, Dean didn't need a book to tell him that, he'd had plenty of experience seeing first-hand Sam's screwed-up thought process when it came to reading other people. The book he had stored away in his bottom dresser drawer was just a helpful ally. He was glad Sam had never found it but shortly after Sam had broken down that night and told him exactly what it was that Frank had done to him, Dean had gone to the bookstore and bought a couple of books that were designed for family members of victims of childhood sexual abuse. "You are." He reassured gently cupping Sam's cheek and wiping away a stray tear. There were few people Dean couldn't ever live without and his brother most definitely topped the list.

Sam shook his head. "No… I… I can't be, not if Mike is…" He said in confusion.

Dean sighed and shook his head. Most people learned this when they were in grade school but of course, Sam hadn't had the opportunity to be exposed to the different social rules and such and it was just another example of how childlike his brother could be at times. "You can have more than one best friend Sam, it doesn't change either person's importance… but what I'm trying to say is that so you and James had a little tiff, it's not the end of the world and by no means the end of your friendship."

Sam looked unsure so Dean continued.

"You and I have fought before, right?" He asked a little bit unsure if he should be bringing up their arguments while trying to help Sam get over one with one of his friends.

Sam nodded as he bit his lip, waiting to see where Dean was going with this.

"I still love you more than anything Sam, the fight we had didn't change that." He said giving his brother a gentle squeeze.

"I love you too Dean." Sam replied quietly.

Dean let out a soft chuckle. "I know you do kid but the fight didn't change that, did it?" He asked.

Sam shook his head no.

"See, fights happen Sammy… it doesn't always have to mean that the people who are fighting don't like each other anymore… sometimes, it's just a matter of having a different opinion or idea." Dean smiled softly. "Which is always okay." He reassured. Dean constantly reinforced the idea that having your own mind and forming your own opinions was acceptable and he encouraged Sam to think for himself as often as he could.

Sam bit his lip and looked up at his big brother. "So what do I do?" He asked sounding very young to Dean's ears.

"I'd say call James in the morning and see what he's up too 'kay. Don't stress over this Sammy, it isn't worth getting upset over." He smiled a little. "You guys are still friends and that's all that matters."

Sam nodded but snuggled up tighter against his brother's side. Dean internally sighed when he felt Sam burrow against him and dropped a quick kiss onto the top of his head. _It'll work out Sammy, you'll see_ Dean thought.

~DW/SW~

The next morning, Dean woke and felt the now familiar heavy weight that was lying partially on top of him. Tiredly, he popped open his eyes and smiled sweetly at his sleeping brother. Sam had developed the habit of practically lying on top of him and using Dean's chest as a firm pillow with one arm wound around him as if ensuring that if Dean even tried to move, Sam would know. Dean didn't mind and settled back to wait for Sam to wake up, hoping that their late night chat would help put Sam in a better and less worried or anxious mood this morning.

Sam woke not much longer but didn't move to get up.

"You sleep okay?" Dean questioned as he tried to see where Sam's head was at this morning.

Sam shrugged. "Dean?" He asked a couple of minutes later.

"Yeah Sam?" Dean replied as he managed to stretch a little bit without losing his hold on his brother.

"Do you um… do you think your parents would have liked me?" Sam asked quietly, unsure of what his brother's answer would be or if Dean would even talk about his parents to him.

"Yeah, I do… I think my dad would have taken you fishing or to ball games and mom would have constantly fussed over you, making sure you had everything you ever wanted." Dean answered with a small smile on his face as he imagined what his parents' reactions to Sam could have been. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." Sam answered thinking that by the sounds of it; he'd gotten two parents in one.

Dean chuckled softly and squirmed.

"Time to get up?" Sam asked as he started to sit up.

Dean nodded and stood before going into the bathroom.

~DW/SW~

Later that morning, Dean had thought that maybe Sam would have given James a call by now but he knew when he saw Sam standing by the window staring out at the yard that he hadn't quite worked up the courage to call his friend yet. A part of him hoped that Sam would be the one to call though he knew that having James call would help reassure Sam that James, indeed, still wanted to talk to him.

Watching Sam staring out at the yard, observing but not participating, Dean sadly realized that Sam's delay in picking up the phone reflected the way his brother had lived since they'd been home, Sam literally hadn't done anything. Very little of the schoolwork Mike had sent over was completed, Sam had missed the latest episodes of his favorite show, his play station that Dean had bought as a surprise gift had gone untouched, Ace's leash hadn't moved from its spot in the pantry… _maybe it's time for a little push_ Dean thought wondering how he could go about it without setting off one of Sam's panic attacks which had luckily become much rarer than they used to be and a lot more manageable when they did occur.

His mind made up, Dean turned around and whistled. It was only a minute before Ace was rounding the kitchen corner running towards him. Dean smiled and grabbed Ace's favorite ball from the bin of dog toys. "Yeah boy, you wanna play?" Dean asked teasingly as he threw the ball up in the air and then caught it before Ace had a chance to make a grab at it.

Ace barked as he followed Dean outside, jumping up a little and sniffing the toy Dean had. Dean left the backdoor propped open, making it a silent invitation should Sam work up the courage to come and hang out with him.

"You want it? You want it… go get it!" Dean yelled, watching as Ace happily chased after the ball, his ears back as he ran and his tail wagging. He brought it back and dropped it at Dean's feet looking up with what could have been described as a hopeful look on his face. Dean smiled and scratched Ace behind the ears before throwing the ball again.

Getting Sam Ace for Christmas had turned out to be one of the best decisions ever. Ace had offered Sam the chance to form a friendship without the pressures of knowing how to socialize, he allowed Sam to just be himself. It was okay for him to be scared and unsure around the dog just like it was for him to be happy and excited. Ace didn't want anything from Sam but his companionship and that helped, Dean thought, a lot in getting Sam to realize that not everybody wanted to use him, sometimes they just wanted to be with him. Dean knew dogs didn't live forever though and even though, he knew Sam logically realized that, he was worried about when the time would come when Sam's 'first friend' would no longer be around. He was sure it was going to hit the kid hard, hell, he was going to miss the pooch too!

He knew Sam was standing at the window watching him but tried to pay his brother's hesitancy little attention knowing Sam would be more likely to come out on his own rather than if Dean kept waving at him. It would make his brother self-conscious instead of feeling like he was in an accepting environment and if Sam felt that way at home, then he could kiss getting his brother outside goodbye.

Dean had been playing with Ace for a good fifteen minutes and had noticed that Sam had made it to the back door now but he hadn't set foot outside yet. "Go, fetch!" Dean yelled chucking the now slobber covered toy into the far corner of the yard. Ace ran after it and picked up the squishy dog toy in his mouth charging back towards Dean but instead of dropping it at Dean's feet, he carried it over to Sam. Dean stood back, hoping that the silent plea from his dog would make Sam take the final step into the yard. Ace dropped the toy in front of his owner and waited. When Sam didn't move, Ace nudged his head against Sam's legs and whined a bit.

Sam stood there watching Ace waiting in front of him with his head bent and the toy resting at his feet. Ace whined again causing Sam to sigh. Slowly, ever so slowly, he reached down and made a slightly grossed out face when his fingers felt sticky with dog-slobber. He smiled though when Ace began to get excited and started to almost prance around him. "You want it?" He asked, unknowingly repeating the same question Dean had asked, looking at his dog and raising the ball over his head.

Ace barked excitedly and ran around in a circle in front of Sam.

"Okay, go get it!" Sam yelled throwing the ball as hard as he could, his face breaking into a smile as Ace took off across the yard. He glanced up and saw Dean sitting down on the patio smiling back at him.

Dean just nodded before he stood, giving Sam a smile. He dusted off his pants and walked back inside hoping Sam wouldn't follow him. It wasn't that he didn't want the kid around but he wanted Sam to start feeling safe and comfortable in his own house again so that he wouldn't need Dean to always be _right there_.

Sam thought about following his brother back inside but Ace ran back up to him, waiting for him to throw it again. Taking a breath, Sam threw the ball again and turned around to see Dean in the kitchen looking like he was fixing them something to eat. He glanced over at the locked gate that led to the backyard from the street and let out a breath. _I'm safe here_ he told himself repeatedly and then focused on his dog, hoping Ace would keep him distracted.

~DW/SW~

"Hey James," Sam said into the phone managing to keep the waiver out of his voice. He was sitting on the couch with his free hand clenched into a fist and his eyes closed. Just because he had picked up the phone and dialed his friend's number didn't mean that the fear was completely gone and he prayed James wasn't mad enough that he wouldn't speak to him.

"Oh, hey Sam…" James replied surprised beyond reason. Besides that one phone call from Sam a couple weeks ago, his friend had never called him and when Dean had said Sam was sleeping last night when he'd called, he wasn't sure if that had been the truth or if Sam hadn't wanted to talk to him. He wasn't sure what Sam thought of him since he'd 'yelled' at him and wasn't sure how he was going to put it in civil terms that he just wanted Sam to leave the house, for God's sake! "What's up?" He asked wondering what Sam's reason for calling was, he highly doubted his uber-shy friend was calling just for the sake of talking.

Sam took a breath and looked at his brother who was sitting opposite him. Dean shot him a smile and nodded. He knew what Sam was going to ask and hoped the kid would agree to it. Hell, Dean had even told his brother that whatever it was, if he wanted Dean there with him, he'd go. "Um… what… what was it you guys were thinking of doing?" Sam asked cautiously, he wasn't sure what he'd say yes to.

"You mean this weekend?" James asked hopefully. Maybe his little temper tantrum had been a good thing.

Sam nodded, for a moment forgetting that James couldn't see him. "Yeah." He answered.

"Ah well," James was in a little bit of shock and it took him a moment to answer. "We were thinking about heading down to the Fairpark since they've got the water rides open now." He explained.

"Oh." Sam chewed on his lip nervously. He'd heard about the Fairpark before, both from his brother and at school. It was the nearest amusement park that also served as the county fair grounds on occasion, hence the name. He knew it was likely to be crowded there this weekend since it was one of the first warm weekends in a while and didn't know what to do.

"Would you want to come?" James asked, putting the invitation out there just in case Sam needed to hear it verbally too.

"I… I don't know…" Sam answered casting a look at Dean.

"Well, what would make you want to come?" James asked thinking that they may have to change plans and do things on Sam's terms instead.

Sam felt awful for asking this and hoped he'd find some way to make it up to her. "Is um… is Kate going?" He asked hesitantly.

"No, she got a job and starts this weekend so she can't but the rest of us are." James said glad that even if Sam hadn't agreed to it, he hadn't hung up either. He figured that had to be a good sign.

"Oh…" _Well, I guess that works_ Sam thought. "Could Dean come?" Sam asked cringing at the fact that he thought he sounded incredibly pathetic.

James had to admit he was taken back a bit by Sam's request, it wasn't that he didn't like Dean… he thought the guy was quite cool, actually, it was just the idea of having a chaperone so-to-speak even though he knew Dean was only going to be there for Sam's sake. Sighing though, he realized that this was probably going to be the only way Sam was going to come and he hoped that future outings would result in more independence from Sam. Hiding his reluctance, he agreed. "Yeah, sure man."

"O… okay," Sam breathed out a deep breath and slowly moved towards Dean. "Okay, I'll go." He agreed and when he looked over at his brother, Dean had a proud smile on his face.

"Great!" James sounded truly excited and Sam was glad for that. "Okay so um… you wanna go tomorrow?" He asked.

"Fine." Sam could feel himself starting to shake and desperately wanted to get off the phone before an attack started.

"Okay, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then… say at eleven out in front of the park." James suggested.

"Yeah… yeah okay." Sam said before shutting the phone off.

"Sam?" Dean asked happily. "So, what's the plan?" He asked before he realized that Sam looked rather pale and shaky.

_I can't believe I said yes_ Sam thought wondering how he was going to handle tomorrow without crapping himself out of fear.

* * *

Hey! So how was that? I hope you enjoyed all the brotherly love in it and I look forward to hearing what you thought. And remember, please let me know if you'd be willing to read more... it would help me out a lot! I will try to update soon... I'm going to work on my other story first and then this one so I'm going to aim for maybe sometime next week. Thanks again everybody, you guys rule! :)


	25. Chapter 25

Hey guys! So, here's the first part of Sammy's trip out with friends. I really appreciate all of your reviews and everything and I hope that you will all let me know what you thought of the chapter and whether or not you liked it.

I hope everyone enjoys the chapter! :)

* * *

Dean was in the bathroom getting ready for the day, unsure of how it would all actually go but hoping for the best. To tell the truth, he had been quite shocked that Sam had actually agreed to going to the Fairpark with his friends and wondered that now, since the day was actually here, would his brother chicken out and plead to stay home or would he go through with his plans? Dean sighed as he hoped that today went well and thinking that if it did, it would make Sam's return to school next week all that much easier. He shut the water off and stepped out of the shower stall, wrapping a towel around his waist as he proceeded to shave. Once he was done, he picked up his dirty laundry, chucked it into the hamper and then went to Sam's room. "Sam?" Dean called knocking on his brother's door.

"Yeah?" Sam called back and opening the door a little bit, feeling shy in front of his brother for the first time in what felt like ages as he stood in the open space wearing his pajama pants and a t-shirt. Out of decency and coincidence, it was a rare sight that Sam ever caught his brother standing or just walking around the house in just a towel and he was very glad for that.

_Will I ever look like that?_ He wondered as he took in the sight of his brother's chiseled chest and abs. Sure, he was no longer the emaciated string bean he had been when he had first met Dean and he had packed on weight, some of it being muscle, but he certainly wasn't in the same shape his brother was. A part of Sam knew it was just a matter of maturity and that he would get there. They knew that Sam was going to be tall as he was already about Dean's height and Dean had promised him that he'd fill out like all teenagers did but Sam's insecurities about his body managed to push a bit of doubt into his mind and his self-confidence level dropped a bit. "What is it Dean?" He asked when his brother didn't say anything.

"Shower's all yours 'kay?" Dean smiled, trying not to make a big deal of or call attention to Sam's shy behavior or the strange look on his face.

Sam nodded and went to grab his clothes for the day.

Dean then walked into his room where he toweled off and grabbed his blue and white board shorts from his closest. Dean hated shorts and almost never wore them but he knew that jeans were not going to be a comfortable option today, something he'd had to spend the past three days convincing Sam of and decided that if he wanted Sam to feel okay in them, then he had to do so too.

_Hope this doesn't make him feel worse_ he thought knowing that the Fairpark was sure to be crowded with lots of teenagers and young adults wearing nothing but their bathing suits or other equally revealing outfits. Dean knew how body conscious his brother was despite the fact that the majority of his scars were essentially gone and that his brother was in relatively good shape for a kid his age. Sam still felt less than comfortable in his own skin though and it was rare for him to go out 'uncovered'.It was something that Dean knew only time and patience could help him with but also a nudge from a cute girl, like Kate, never hurt and he hoped that her attention might help Sam realize that he didn't have to hide himself away so much, physically or otherwise. Unfortunately, Kate wasn't going but who knows maybe a cute girl or two at the park would give Sam some attention though Dean wasn't so sure Sam would know what to do with it or that he would even realize that they were directing it at him. Knowing his brother, Dean figured Sam would probably think they were looking at someone behind him.

Shaking his head at the prospects of how the day might go, Dean resolved himself to just focusing on making this a fun and successful outing for his kid brother. His hope was that Sam would enjoy himself and want to go back or do something similar with his friends and that slowly, he could be weaned out of the picture. It wasn't that he didn't like hanging out with the kid, he just wanted Sam to develop a sense of independence and knew that that couldn't happen if Sam refused to go anywhere without having his big brother by his side. He was after all, a seventeen year old kid who shared a bed with his older brother. Dean knew this wasn't 'normal' and that Sam would probably end up getting teased about it if anyone ever found out but considering everything his brother had been through; he figured the kid was allowed to have some quirks so long as fear wasn't the main motivator behind Sam's actions.

Sam had been doing so well before the attack at the diner and Dean hoped that today could be the start of setting foot on that road again. _He'll make a comeback_ Dean thought. He slipped on one of his gray ACDC band t-shirts and then proceeded to make sure they had everything figuring he'd just stuff it all in the trunk and they'd grab it as they needed it throughout the day. Plus, he figured that a couple of walks to the car, just he and Sam, would give the kid a chance to get a breather if he needed to.

~DW/SW~

Sam had brought the new swim trunks that Dean had bought him the other day into the bathroom with him and was now standing in front of the mirror trying to convince himself that they would look fine on him and that he wasn't some grotesque creature that should be banned from wearing such an item ever again. This would be the first time that he had worn shorts in years, even with having had the surgeries done, and he wasn't sure how he was going to feel walking around a park all day having this much of himself exposed. Glancing down at himself and adjusting the towel around his waist a bit, Sam knew that the most recent surgery to get rid of the scars on his legs had been a success but he didn't feel like it, he felt like the raised bumps and angry lines were still there for everyone to see. He knew that was how his back looked. _What the hell was I thinking?_ Sam asked himself as he put his head in his hands and wondered if anyone would go running in the opposite direction when they got a look at him.

_At least she won't be there _he thought. Sam felt beyond relieved that Kate wasn't going, not only because he wasn't sure he could face her yet but he didn't want her to see him like this, sure that her supposed crush on him would evaporate in an instant should she ever see what he looked like underneath his clothes. He glanced at the shorts that were sitting folded up on the counter and hesitantly reached out to grab them. _Here goes nothing_ he thought as he pulled them up and shyly glanced into the mirror. _She could do so much better than me_ Sam thought wondering how much longer he could fool her for. Sighing and knowing that Dean wasn't going to let him stay in there forever, he pried open the bathroom door and walked into Dean's room with his head down.

"Hey, are you almost ready to go?" Dean asked when Sam entered his room. He smiled when he saw that Sam had put his swim trunks on, feeling glad for the small victory because the fact that he had bought them didn't guarantee that his brother was going to actually wear them. It had been a bit of a battle the other day when he'd grabbed them off the rack and Sam had pleaded with him to put them back saying he was never going to be able to wear them. When Dean had asked Sam why he thought that, the kid hadn't been able to give him a reason. Instead, he had dropped his gaze to the carpeted floor and muttered something that Dean couldn't understand. Looking at his brother now though, he smiled with pride. Sam was a handsome kid indeed and he had a good heart and Dean felt damn lucky to be able to say that he was related to the guy.

_You look fine Sammy, don't worry so much _he thought as he observed Sam's shy behavior. He was standing with slouched shoulders and his bangs in his face. Sam was no longer a scrawny skin and bones figure but instead had put on weight and muscle and now looked how a healthy seventeen year old boy should. Dean remembered when Sam had weighed just under ninety pounds he was so malnourished and was quite glad that he could no longer see his brother's ribs or the sharp points of his hips. Sam might not have been as bad as the kids you saw on the television when they advertised programs to help the starving people in Africa but damn if he hadn't been close.

Sam shrugged as he looked through Dean's closet. He grabbed an older and faded black muscle car t-shirt and slid it on before turning around to face his brother. "Do you mind?" He asked gesturing to the shirt he was wearing.

Dean shook his head knowing that sometimes when the kid was feeling down or a bit insecure for whatever reason, he liked to put on one of his big brother's shirts or jackets. Dean wasn't quite sure how the shirt could make Sam feel more okay but if it worked, he was willing to let it go. Dean noticed that just within the past couple of minutes Sam had reverted back to talking in a hushed tone of voice and it made Dean wonder if his brother's mute behaviors would appear when they got to the park, he hoped not knowing that the curious looks he would receive would probably push Sam further into himself.

"Have you put sunscreen on yet?" Dean asked as he found an older pair of sandals and put them on before he went into the hall. He opened up the hall closet and grabbed two towels off one of the shelves. "Sam?" He asked, returning to his room and not having gotten a verbal answer to either one of his questions.

"You sure this is gonna be fun?" Sam asked, biting his lip as he looked up at his older brother, uncertainty shining in his eyes.

Dean nodded with a confident smile on his face. "Yeah, I used to go there all the time when I was growing up and always had a good time." He reassured. He saw the hesitation on his brother's face and clapped a hand on Sam's shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze. "We don't have to be there all afternoon okay, we'll go for as long as we want to. And if you want, you can stick with me the entire time alright?"

"You don't mind if I cling on to you?" Sam asked quietly knowing that if it was as crowded as he imagined it would be, he'd probably end up wanting to either latch on to his brother's hand or shirt at least a couple of times. _Yeah, you're not going to look like a dork at all_ Sam teased himself as he imagined what his friends would think should they see him freaking out over something and needing his big brother's reassurance. He was continuing to silently berate himself when he remembered that James had seen him break down and was still talking to him. He hoped his other friends would be that understanding but wasn't totally confident that he'd return home today with his ego still intact.

"Who would I be trying to impress Sammy?" Dean asked smiling softly. He knew that sometimes the two of them might make a little bit of an odd pair but there wasn't anybody who was going to be at the park whose approval he wanted so if someone thought their closeness was strange then they could go jump off a cliff for all Dean cared. The most important thing to him was that Sam felt safe and if he needed a little physical closeness or something every now and then, then so be it and he didn't care what anyone else thought.

Sam smiled gratefully back at his brother and allowed Dean to rub sunscreen on his cheeks and chin.

"Close your eyes." Dean instructed before he smeared some on Sam's forehead and nose. "There, okay… let's see, I've got my wallet, some cash, car keys and sunglasses." Dean said patting his pockets to make sure he had everything. "Is Ace out?" He asked shutting off his bedroom light and leading the way down the hall.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, do you want me to bring him in?"

"Nah, he can stay out. It's nice out today. Alright, I think we're good." He grabbed the towels he'd set down and then he proceeded out the front door, being sure to lock it behind him.

Sam nodded and tried to swallow his nerves as he followed Dean to the car. He wasn't sure what the park would be like or what to expect so he put his faith in his big brother, knowing Dean would never bring him to someplace or let him go somewhere that he thought might be harmful to him.

~DW/SW~

In order to try and help Sam visualize the place and kind of get a gist of what it was like Dean had begun telling Sam what his favorite rides there were and all the yummy but fattening treats he was going to make his brother try. It seemed to work, for a little bit at least, but when they exited the highway and could see the rides from the street, Dean heard his brother's breathing begin to quicken and knew Sam could very well have a panic attack before he parked the car. He took one of his hands off of the steering wheel and squeezed Sam's shaking hand. "Breathe kid, it's all going to be okay, alright? We're going to have fun today, okay." He said, determination written across his face.

Sam nodded but his face revealed the fact that he hadn't been completely sold on that idea.

Dean pulled into the parking lot, paid the ten dollar fee for the parking permit and found a spot close to the entrance. Seeing as how it was almost eleven, Dean knew the place was going to be packed and he hoped that the crowds wouldn't send his brother running for cover. "You ready?" Dean asked as he locked the trunk after having grabbed their towels and turned to face his brother.

Sam swallowed nervously and nodded though he kept his eyes partially hidden behind his bangs.

Dean smiled and nodded. "Where did James say that he was going to meet you?" He asked. He could feel Sam, literally, right next to him and every couple of steps, their hands brushed.

It took Sam a moment to answer as he worked around the lump in his throat. _It's so crowded!_ Sam thought as he looked at the long lines of people who were waiting to get into the park. _This does not look like fun_ he concluded. Gulping, he looked up and scanned the crowds hoping that he would somehow be able to see his friends somewhere in the lines. Even with having Dean beside him, it would suck to get stood up. _Please don't let them have changed their minds_ he prayed. "They um… James said that they'd be outside the main gates." He answered.

Dean nodded and headed towards the main entrance, Sam in tow.

"Sam!" Sam heard a shout and looked ahead a couple of feet to see James standing with Bobby and Andy, waiting for him just like they had promised they would.

Sam thought he'd be relieved to see his friends waiting for him but his stomach was in knots and telling him different. He felt like he might be sick as he wrapped his arms tightly around himself and hoping that no one would approach him. He wasn't sure what he was so scared about or what he thought might happen but the amount of people who were walking by him was incredibly overwhelming. He couldn't believe this was what people, his brother included, considered to be fun… this was more like torture! _It's fun because they aren't shy freaks like you_ he thought.

"Come on," Dean said leading the way over to James, Andy, and Bobby knowing it was slightly unlikely that Sam was going to walk over on his own, not with the way he was acting right now. He'd seen Sam wrap his arms around himself and hoped that Sam, even if he didn't really let his guard down today, would still be able to relax enough to enjoy himself.

_I guess this is it_ Sam glanced nervously up at his brother as they made their way over to Sam's group of friends. "Hi." He mumbled shyly as he kept his eyes on the ground.

"Hey," James smiled a little bit, glad to see Sam out and about. He hadn't been convinced when Sam had agreed to coming out with them that his friend would actually show up at the park and it was nice to see that Sam had proved him wrong.

Bobby stepped closer to Sam and smiled. "Hey dude, it's good to see you again, missed ya." He said sincerely but with a sheepish look on his face.

Sam looked surprised. "You did?" He asked. Even though James had told him that the entire group missed having him around, he wasn't so sure that he believed that that had been the whole truth.

"Well yeah… why wouldn't I?" Bobby asked before he turned to James. "What kind of crap has this guy been filling your head with?" For a moment, Sam and James thought that he was completely serious and mad and then Bobby started laughing. "I'm just kidding dude but seriously, glad you're back."

"I guess so." Sam muttered, still a bit unsure of how the day would go and if he would actually have fun. He realized he hadn't said anything to his other friend yet and turned to face him offering him a small smile and hoping that Andy would return it.

Andy nodded back and then James suggested they go buy their tickets to which everyone, or at least Andy and Bobby, agreed to. Sam tried to step back so he was closer to his brother but James and Bobby dragged him forward. He glanced back shooting Dean a worried look. Dean just smiled reassuringly and fell into line behind Sam and his friends noticing as he did so that Andy was keeping his distance a bit from Sam compared to James and Bobby who were talking excitedly about everything Sam just HAD to do. He hoped it was just him being paranoid and didn't mean anything. He'd hate to have to beat up a punk kid today.

Once the tickets were bought and everyone had their wrist bands on, James and Bobby led Sam across the park and to Delirium, a ride that strapped you in your seat and then took you way up high before spinning in crazy circles. Dean laughed silently to himself as they approached it wondering if Sam would get sick or not his first time on it. Seeing the somewhat panicked look on his brother's face as he stood in line surrounded by both his friends and strangers, Dean stepped forward a little so he just barely brushed against Sam.

Sam turned around, a spooked look on his face, when he felt someone brush up against him but he smiled when he saw it was only Dean. He wasn't feeling suffocated quite yet but he was still glad that Dean was there with him because he was sure that if he had been alone, he would have already broken down and gone running for the hills.

Dean waited until Bobby and James were in a somewhat heated argument over something and then asked quietly so he wouldn't embarrass the kid, "You want to sit next to me?"

Sam nodded as he blushed a little.

Dean didn't say anything further, just smiled and leaned back against the fence as they waited for the line to move.

Sam took a small, unnoticeable step towards his brother as he looked around at the park. He could see the log ride that Dean had told him about and was wondering where 'Rip Roaring Rapids' was. Dean had said that that one was one of his favorites. About ten minutes later, the line started to move and soon the group was at the head of the line.

Sam bit his lip nervously as he stood in between James and Dean with his head bowed. They were in the next section of people to be let on the ride. He could hear the whoosh of the ride as it rushed by him and the screams of its passengers and he wasn't sure what to make of it or if he really wanted to climb on the ride after all. Suddenly, he felt a hand squeeze his shoulder and he looked up to see his brother smiling softly at him.

"You okay?" Dean asked quietly.

Sam nodded but Dean could see the truth written across Sam's face and wasn't fooled. "You wanna sit this one out?" He asked.

Sam dropped his gaze feeling embarrassed that he'd walked all this way and yet couldn't climb on the ride.

"Come on," Dean tilted his head to the side a little and climbed underneath the metal fencing, waiting as Sam followed him.

"Hey Sam, where ya going?" Dean looked up to see James looking curiously at the pair of them and silently shook his head, telling the young man to let it go. James nodded back and then climbed into a seat on the ride.

Dean led them over to a bench that was near the exit for that particular ride and sat down. Sam sat down beside Dean and put his head in his hands.

"Don't beat yourself up." Dean said as he watched Sam's defeated attitude and knew that chances were that silently Sam was giving himself a lecture. "You don't have to go on every ride Sam… do whatever you want to do, okay? You're setting the pace today kid."

Sam nodded and sighed, sitting back as they waited for James, Bobby and Andy.

~DW/SW~

Since Psycho Mouse was nearby, that was the next ride the group hit. The line moved quicker for this roller coaster than it did for Delirium and Dean thought that was a good thing, gave his brother less of a chance to think about why he shouldn't go on the ride. Dean took out his wallet and everything he had in his pockets and stashed it in one of the cubbies before climbing into one of the cars, waiting for Sam to take the seat beside him.

Sam climbed into the little red car beside his brother and sat down before he started fiddling with the seatbelt.

Seeing Sam's shaking hands, Dean leaned over and did Sam's belt for him wondering how Sam would react when the ride operator came to check and secure his belt.

"You doing okay?" Dean asked with a relaxed smile on his face as they sat and waited for the ride to start up.

"Ask me after the ride's over." Sam said as he held onto the safety bar with a death grip.

Dean laughed a little. "You'll be fine." He reassured.

Sam just turned to glare at him but his eyes widened in shock when the ride operator leaned down and yanked on Sam's belt tightening it till it was near painful. "Dean, what's he doing?" Sam asked worriedly and Dean could see the fear in his brother's face.

"It's okay Sammy," Dean reassured gently. "He's just making sure that your belt is tight enough, he's doing it to everybody okay?"

The ride operator nodded a little and then moved onto the next car.

Sam gulped and nodded but his coloring wasn't any better. Sam felt the ride hitch forward and if possible, Dean thought Sam's knuckles turned even whiter.

"Relax, nothing's gonna happen." He said leaning over a little so his arm brushed his brother's.

"Shut up," Sam growled without turning to look at Dean. "Don't move, you're gonna tilt the ride and make us crash!" He yelled when he saw Dean move a little in his seat.

Dean quirked an eyebrow at his brother and laughed at his brother's antics.

"I cannot believe… oh crap, crap, crap!" Sam mumbled as they went around a sharp turn and then headed up a very steep hill. "Dean!" _Is he insane?! This isn't fun… I'm going to kill him_ Sam thought as wondered how in the world his brother had convinced him to step foot on this thing.

"Sam," He looked over and realized Sam's eyes were closed and he was mumbling under his breath. _Kid's gonna give himself a heart attack_ Dean thought. Laughing to himself, Dean just sat back and let Sam figure out on his own that the roller coaster was not a death trap.

Much to Sam's relief, the ride ended only a few minutes later and as soon as it was safe, Sam jumped up, collected his and Dean's things and marched off the ride leaving his friends and brother, who were laughing quite hysterically at him, behind. Dean hurried after Sam though, not wanting to get separated from the kid in a place of this magnitude and patted his brother on the back in a congratulatory way. His brother had just braved his first roller coaster!

"I thought you said it was going to be fun!" Sam huffed.

"It was fun." Dean replied smiling putting his wallet back in his pocket and waiting with Sam as his friends exited the ride too.

"Maybe if you're mental, I'm never doing that again." He swore looking way too serious for his brother's liking.

"It wasn't that bad." Dean argued. "But fine, I think I know a ride that you'll like better. What?" He asked when he saw Sam staring at him.

"You think I'm going to… trust you after you made me get on that thing?!" He asked waving his hands around.

Dean looked at his brother for a moment. "Did you get off the ride in one piece?" He asked.

Sam nodded.

"Okay, are you barfing your guts up right now?" Dean asked, a small smile pulling at his lips.

Sam slowly shook his head no.

"See, told you you'd be fine, hunh?" Dean smiled smugly.

Sam growled and mumbled, "Why are you always right?" under his breath.

"Because I'm the big brother." Dean smiled. "So, what do you say, you want to try it?" He asked hoping that maybe James or Bobby would join him and their encouragement might be what Sam needed. Dean wasn't sure what to make of Andy's evasive behavior towards Sam and decided to keep an eye on the guy as the day wore on.

"What ride is it?" Sam asked nervously as he bit his lip.

"Rip Roaring Rapids." Dean answered.

"Dude! I love that one!" James smiled.

Sam bit his lip. "Is it like that one?" He asked hitching his thumb over his shoulder back at Psycho Mouse.

"You sit in a tube and basically go through a waterfall kind of thing, it's fun man and a good way to see chicks." James piped up. He smiled and waggled his eyebrow a little. "I mean, I know you have a thing with Kate but there's no harm in looking."

"What the hell makes you think that they're going to give you the time of day?" Bobby asked as he playfully shoved James.

James pointed at himself. "What girl wouldn't want this?" He asked with a smile to show that he wasn't as egotistical as the statement made him look.

Bobby erupted into laughter and leaned closer to Sam. "You think we should let him pretend he's good looking?" He asked.

For a moment, Sam thought Bobby was serious and wondered what he should do but then he saw the smile on his friend's face and decided that for once, he would play along. "Yeah, it'd break his heart if he found out he's not the catch he thinks he is." He bit his lip as he shyly looked up, wondering if he'd get the reaction he was looking for or if his attempt to join in would land him flat on his face.

Dean was downright shocked when he heard those words come from his brother. That was something he never thought he'd hear his brother say but he hoped that this meant that Sam was learning how to joke around with his pals. He also took this as his point to step back a little and just smiled quietly to himself, hoping Sam's friends would pick up the reigns.

James just shook his head. "Yeah well, don't come crying to me to hook you up when I get all the pretty ladies."

"Whatever." Bobby muttered. "Come on." And the group was off for their first water ride of the day.

Sam let a small smile on his face as he followed his friends to the water ride.

* * *

Hey, so how was that? I hope you liked it and didn't think the end of the chapter was too abrupt or Sam's change in behavior wasn't too drastic? I'm personally not all that sure if I ended it in the right place but none the less, the next chapter will contain the rest of Sammy's outing. As for Lucky Number 7, I'm going to try and update it next week but I'm not sure since I won't be home all that much next week but I promise I will try to get it up ASAP as well as the next chapter of this story.

Thanks again and I hope to hear from all of you! :)


	26. Chapter 26

Hey guys! Here's the next part of Sam's waterpark adventure and I hope you enjoy it! I'm actually surprised that I have it ready for you this soon, I was kind of thinking that with my grandparents here (I cannot wait for them to leave! Once again, I've heard nothing about how my kids aren't good enough... GRR!) I wouldn't have had any time to write this chap but it came out really quick and easy so here it is.

I'm really curious to see how guys will react to Sam in this chap and I've gotta say, I'm pretty proud of the kid at the moment... I hope you guys will be too. Thanks as always for reading and I hope to hear back from you. Either way, enjoy! :)

* * *

Sam let a small smile fall onto his face as he followed James and Bobby to the water ride, trying to push down the fear and anxiety that he'd felt since Dean had woken him that morning. After all, they'd already been at the park for at least an hour or so and so far nothing bad had happened and he hoped it would stay that way as he was finding that the semi-terrifying rides could be a bit fun so long as he didn't really think about what could go wrong. _You're having fun, just think about that_ he reassured himself.

The line to get onto 'Rip Roaring Rapids' was huge and the stairs were packed making Sam take an unconscious step towards his brother. If there was anything he hated most about the park, it was the sheer amount of people in it. Luckily though, the stairs were mostly shady and it wasn't too hot out yet so the group didn't mind the wait all that much. After a couple of minutes, the line began to move and the five of them trudged their way up the wooden staircase to the bridge that would take them to the entrance of the ride.

Dean smiled, feeling relaxed as he watched his brother loosen up a little and start joining in the conversation more with his friends, laughing and adding his own comments every now and then. This was what he wanted. He wanted his brother to just be able to relax and to not have to worry constantly about what he was doing or if he was going to say the right thing or not. He also noticed that as Sam became more involved with the conversation, he stopped looking around self-consciously as he paid more attention to what was being said rather than the possible dirty looks he might be getting. Dean was glad that he didn't have to have an arm around Sam's shoulders to comfort him as Sam seemed to be doing okay on his own and he also noticed that James and Bobby were quite good at keeping his brother focused on just them and off of the massive number of people surrounding him.

He still wasn't sure about Andy though, especially since the kid looked interested anytime James or Bobby spoke but as soon as Sam did, he would drop his gaze to the ground and suddenly appear to be very bored. Dean chewed his lip a bit as he tried to figure the guy out.

Finally, they were at the top of the ride and were next in line. Standing in front of them were two girls who looked to be about Sam's age, maybe a year or so younger and Dean smiled to himself, wondering how or if Sam would interact with them since it was obvious they would all be in the same raft. Dean knew there were other girls in Sam's classes besides Kate but he doubted that Sam went out of his way to interact with any of them. After all, Kate was the only girl Sam had ever even mentioned. _This is going to be interesting_ he thought to himself and smiling a little.

The two girls were now sitting side by side in the raft facing the platform and were cute, for teenage girls Dean thought but were obviously too young for him. They were both wearing t-shirts and shorts and it looked as if they had their bathing suits on underneath. James, Andy, and Bobby climbed in first, all of them smiling and saying hi to the girls, making talk like any other teenage boy would. Dean followed behind them; taking a seat beside Andy and leaving a space open beside one of the girls for Sam to sit in. He still wasn't sure what Andyy's full intentions were and he didn't want to give him the chance to whisper any hurtful comments to his brother.

Sam saw the two girls sitting in the raft and talking with his friends and he wondered if they would pay him any attention or if he would be invisible like always. _You're not invisible to Kate_ he thought as he tried to boost his self-esteem a little. In one sense, he wanted them to pay attention to him too. He wanted to know what it felt like to see a girl smile at him and blush when he started to talk to her and know that by her actions, she thought he was pretty alright. _Kate thinks you're pretty alright _Sam heard his brother's voice say and tried to let that knowledge breathe a little bit of confidence into him. But on the other hand, he was sure he would be the one blushing and stuttering like there was no tomorrow if they did so much as glance in his direction. Sighing to himself and praying that things would go smoothly, he just nodded shyly at the two girls before he took his seat, concentrating on buckling himself in and not letting his hands shake. He did his best to sit inconspicuously close to his brother, feeling a bit of relief when Dean's arm brushed his.

Sam was a little surprised that the girls weren't staring unabashadly at his brother. He'd noticed his brother getting appreciative looks from girls all morning and wasn't sure what to make of the fact that these girls apparantly weren't following that trend.

After everyone was secure, the ride operator gave them a little push and the group was on their way. The raft bounced against the sides of the dam and caused water to splash up against the walls and into the inner tube.

After a couple of minutes, the girl sitting beside Sam turned to him and smiled a bit as she reached a hand up to wipe it across her face, pushing her bangs back a little. "You're lucky." She said.

Sam looked confused. "Why?" He asked.

"Because you're not getting wet, the rest of us are completely soaked. I mean, look at me... I guess it's a good thing I'm wearing my bathing suit, hunh?" The girl explained.

Sam bit his lip as he worked up the courage to actually look at her and then he looked at the rest of the group and realized that she was right, everyone was completely soaked except for him. "Guess I chose the right seat then." He replied. _This was the only seat left you dork_ Sam thought to himself.

"Yeah, I guess you did. I'm Alicia by the way," The girl said, introducing herself as she let go of the wheel for a moment so she could shake Sam's hand. "And this is Sarah." The other girl waved briefly at Sam before she folded in on herself to try and prevent from getting any more soaked.

Sam nodded, smiling a little bit at the other girl as he shook Alicia's hand. He hoped that the water would mask his sweaty and nervous grip. "I'm Sam." He couldn't believe it! He was in a raft with four other guys, all way better looking than him, at least in his opinion, and yet he was the one the girls had chosen to talk to, it didn't make sense to him but he was grateful that they had noticed him in a good way and hoped that he wouldn't screw it up. _What about Kate?_ Sam thought wondering what he would do if he did end up getting this girl's number though he figured that would be a long, long shot. _Yeah right, like she'd give it you_ he berated himself.

Andy saw Sam getting the attention that he wanted and internally snarled, wondering why the hell the two girls were paying attention to someone like Sam. _Guess it's understandable since they don't know what kind of person he is_ he thought. "I think you look good wet." He said to Alicia, smirking confidently, hoping to bring her attention on to him instead of the loser. He couldn't believe that James and Bobby were actually excited that Sam had joined them today but figured that James must be doing a favor for Sean by being nice to the kid.

Alicia smirked at Andy before she shook her head and returned her attention to Sam.

Andy quirked a brow at the girl's behavior. _What the hell?_ He wondered starting to get angry and a sneer appeared on his face until he felt himself being nudged none too gently into the side of the raft. He knew it wasn't the ride and when he looked up, he saw Dean looking back at him with a bit of a cold look on his face. _Crap, forgot you were here_ He thought smiling a little and hoping to get the guard dog to back off a bit.

_What the hell is wrong with you?_ Dean thought as he stared at Andy, now determined more than ever to not let the kid get anywhere near his brother or at least not somewhere where the two of them would be alone together. He had seen the sneer on Andy's face after his attempt at a pick-up line had failed and was glad that Alicia seemed to have no interest in the guy. The only problem though was that Andy looked like he didn't care too much for losing. _Oh well, that's why I'm here._ He turned a bit and glared hard at Andy until the teen looked somewhere else besides Sam and Alicia. _Yeah, try anything and you'll be eating through a straw from now on_ Dean silently promised.

The ride ended not too long after that and Sam and his friends said goodbye to the girls after thanking them for going on the ride with them. Both Alicia and Sarah had shaken their heads and had said it was fun, Alicia smiling at Sam the entire time. Dean noticed that his brother looked completely oblivious to her attention and shook his head, laughing a little. Sam had a lot to learn in the ways of socializing with the other gender.

They decided to hit one more ride before stopping to get something to eat. James and Bobby walked ahead while Andy seemed to be pissed off and was walking with his arms crossed over his chest, his jaw set. Dean just shrugged at the teen's childish behaviors and fell into step beside his brother. "So," He started nudging Sam a little, a proud smirk on his face. "How ya doing?"

Sam looked up, a happy and content look on his face. "It's not as bad as I thought it would be." He replied honestly. "I mean, I still can't believe how many people are here and I'm still a little nervous but so far, it's been fun."

Dean nodded, glad to hear that, so far the day was going exactly as he'd hoped it would minus Sam's mysterious friend. "Yeah, what did you think of that last ride?" He asked wondering if Sam would even mention the two girls.

"It was fun… I liked it way better than Psycho Mouse, that's for sure." Sam smiled a little deciding that water rides were ten times cooler than any roller coaster. "And it was cool that those two girls didn't mind sharing their raft with us."

"Yeah, they were nice." Dean smiled before he nudged Sam again. "They seemed to think you were pretty interesting."

Sam raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "No, she was just trying to be nice Dean. Just because a girl or anyone talks to me doesn't mean that they actually like me." He answered causing Dean to sigh a bit. That was so like his brother to think that any positive reactions to him were simply because that person was friendly whereas a negative reaction somehow meant that they knew about Sam's past.

Dean huffed. "There were five of us on the raft and she chose you to talk to Sam, I'd say it was more than just being nice."

"You think so?" Sam asked unsure.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, I do." He replied confidently.

"Maybe." Sam replied. He sighed a little as they followed his friends.

_You have no idea kid, no idea_ Dean thought to himself, smirking, but deciding to let the subject drop for now.

~DW/SW~

The five of them were in line to buy their food when Dean noticed a change overcome the group. His brother had seemed to shrink in just the past minute and had stepped closer to him. His head was down and his bangs were in his face again with his arms wrapped securely around himself. _No, no, no _Dean thought not liking seeing Sam revert back to being his shy and self-conscious self. Ever since 'Rip Roaring Rapids', Sam had slowly started to come out of his shell and was talking with his friends now instead of just listening. He looked around trying to spot whatever danger or fear it might have been to cause this change in behavior but he didn't see anything besides a restaurant full of teenagers.

When he glanced over at Sam's friends to see if they could give him any indication of what might be wrong, he saw that James and Bobby had angry looks on their faces and were staring at two teenage boys ahead of them. Andy looked a little like he'd been caught. _What the hell is going on?_ Dean wondered. He was just about to ask Sam what was wrong when he heard James and Bobby speak up.

"What the hell do you guys want?" They asked and Dean noticed that the two of them had moved so they were essentially blocking Sam.

_Hunh…_ he thought trying to figure out what had happened between the two groups. The two other teenagers didn't look familiar to him and as far as he was aware, there hadn't been any altercations or anything at the park today.

At first, the two boys didn't say anything but then one of them turned to Sam. "So, you decided to show your ugly mug in public again? You're not afraid that it won't happen again?" He taunted causing Dean to take a step forward, the hair on the back of his neck standing up as he realized that whoever these two were, they were not someone he wanted Sam to be around.

"You wanna say that again?" He asked. His voice was low and dangerous. No one, no one talked to his brother like that and got away with it, not if he had anything to say about it. Dean might be Sam's big brother but he was also his parent and like most parents in the world, he did not take kindly to anyone messing with his kid.

The kid smirked at Dean, seemingly unfazed by the angry and protective look on the big brother's face before he turned back to Sam. "Hmph, seems like you still can't go somewhere without needing to hold someone's hand you little wuss, hunh Sam."

Sam's gaze dropped to the floor and James growled.

"Go fuck off Ryan. No one here gives a shit about what you have to say." He said taking a step forward causing Ryan and Alex to have to step back.

_So you're the little punks_ Dean thought as he finally had faces to put to the names of his brother's bullies. He unconsciously cracked his knuckles as he wondered if they'd get thrown out of the park if he punched them. It was so tempting as he knew that he could knock both of the jerks onto their asses in just a matter of seconds. "I've been waiting to meet you guys." Dean said in a deadly calm voice.

Alex turned to Dean. "We thought you were cool… till we found out that you're actually proud of this government shit." It was obvious he was referring to Sam's time in foster care and it made the muscles in Dean's body tighten. These two deserved so much more than a punch.

Ryan ignored James and Dean as he turned to Andy. "You're still hanging out with the freak? Man, I thought you said were gonna forget about him so which one is it, him or us?" He asked already knowing what Andy was going to choose.

Sam looked up to see what his friend was going to do and he bit his lip when he saw Andy take a step forward. He shook his head, a look of confusion and hurt on his face. _What did I do so wrong?_ He asked himself.

"Sorry dude but you're too depressing and I'm tired of dealing with all your shit. I mean, it sucks that that happened to you but…" Andy was cut off by Alex.

"What he means is that he doesn't want to hang around with a fag." Alex explained sneering a bit. "Is that why you always took so long to get dressed in the locker rooms, hmm? Wanted to stay as long as you could so you could see all of us? Yeah well, get this through your fucking head, you loser, no one wants you looking at them like that, 'kay? Not us, not Kate, nobody."

"That's bullshit." Bobby argued as he made a fist and stepped up next to Dean.

Sam stood dumbfounded as he listened to Alex's accusations. He didn't know what they were talking about. He'd never watched them in the locker rooms, ever!

Dean was so pissed he could feel his blood boiling. "You fucking prick, I'm gonna kick the shit out of your arrogant asses…" He started taking a step forward to put himself in front of Sam. Didn't these idiots know what he'd do for the kid? He'd fucking stabbed a guy for his brother, punching some teenage snot nosed brat was like taking candy from a baby! Granted, Dean did feel somewhat guilty about taking another human life but he figured that if it had to be anybody, someone who thought that they had permission to rape and abuse another person, let alone a child, deserved all the shit society could hand to them. He was totally ready to hand it to these punks both verbally and physically but was cut off as Sam started to talk.

Sam stared at Alex, Ryan, and Andy feeling shocked and hurt before a deep anger began to grow inside of him. These three had no idea what they were talking about and he clenched his jaw shut as he thought about what to say. "I don't like dicks, I never have and never will and I promise you I never looked at you guys, any of you when we were in the locker room, that's not why I took so long." He shook his head before he continued. All of them knew about his scars and it wasn't worth his breath or time to try to explain it to them he thought as he continued to defend himself. "You have no idea what the hell I've been through and I never want you to. I never want anybody to learn what it feels like to have someone who is stronger than you hold you down and force himself on you. Trust me, I didn't like spreading my legs so that some bastard could take what he wanted without any thought of what it would do to me but then again that's why they call it rape." He felt a small victory when the three teens flinched at the word, he knew it was a socially taboo subject but unfortunately for the people who liked to pretend that bad things didn't exist, it was all too real of a situation. "I never had any interest in any of you and I'm sorry if you're grossed out by it but I can't change what's happened. As much as I would like to go back and do something to prevent any of this from ever happening, I can't…" He drifted off and Dean thought his brother was done but then Sam continued. "I'm not exactly sure why you guys have always hated me," He said thinking back to the fact that Ryan and Alex didn't like him even before anyone had a clue as to what he'd been through. "But this is me," He said pointing to himself as he began to shake a little. "And if you don't like it, then maybe we should all just go our separate ways." He said before he began to walk away, slowly turning into a run with tears blurring his vision.

_Shit!_ Dean thought as he took off after Sam, not wanting to lose him, especially after what had just happened. After pushing himself through the crowds and running as fast he could to be sure that he always had Sam's brown mop in sight, Dean finally caught up to his brother close to the entrance of the park.

Dean had been shocked by his brother when he had finally said what was on his mind and stood up for himself. _Guess, todays full of surprises, hunh kid_ he thought as he looked at Sam. He grabbed his brother by the arm and pulled him close so that Sam couldn't run even as his brother continued to struggle against him. "Sam, Sam, calm down." He ordered kneeling in front of him. "Calm down kid."

Sam was hiccupping a little and Dean saw the tears that were on his brother's face.

_Fucking assholes_ Dean thought as he considered hunting Ryan, Alex, and Andy down and giving them some payback, big brother style.

"They ruined it," Sam whispered as he looked at his brother. "I… I was having fun and now… now, I just want to go home."

"You can still have fun, Sam." Dean countered. "Hmm, you gonna let some dimwitted assholes ruin your day?" He asked hoping he would be able to convince Sam to stay just a little bit longer. He figured if he got even something as small as an hour more out of Sam, he'd call it a victory.

Sam sniffled and looked around, watching as James and Bobby approached them wondering what he was going to do or how much longer he could last here.

"Sam, please don't go home okay, not because of what those idiots did, please?" James pretty much begged as soon as he and Bobby had reached Sam. He had heard Dean ask Sam if he was going to let the pricks ruin his day and knowing his friend, he was sure Sam would want to hide out for the rest of the day.

Sam looked back and forth between his friends, feeling like he wasn't sure what to do. Andy had been his friend, or so he'd thought, but just like that he had turned on him and Sam wondered if he stayed at the park, did he run the chance of James and Bobby doing the same?

"Don't go 'kay, I mean, I guess if you wanted to, we could go somewhere else but…" Bobby drifted off as James spoke up again.

"Yeah, we don't have to stay here if you don't want to." James suggested realizing that they may have to settle for Sam just not locking himself up.

Sam bit his lip as he thought about that but then he realized that all of them were in their swim trunks and it would be kind of silly if they went somewhere else dressed like they were. He sighed and wondered if he'd regret his decision in an hour. "I'll stay 'kay," But it was easy to see that the wind had been taken out of his sails.

James smiled, determined to turn things around from here. "Good… so you still hungry?" He asked.

Sam nodded a little as his stomach growled.

Bobby stepped up beside Sam and smiled too. "What do you feel like?" He asked.

Sam shrugged deciding to let his friends choose. "Doesn't matter to me." He muttered.

James and Bobby nodded, both of them trying to think of another good restaurant at the park. They didn't want to risk running into the three idiots again.

"That was awesome by the way dude," James said nudging Sam a bit, much like how Dean had done earlier as they walked back to the middle of the park.

"What was?" Sam asked, looking at his friend with a confused expression.

"You finally told Alex and Ryan and Andy off, that they couldn't treat you like that anymore." James explained. "I really don't think they were expecting that."

"Yeah man, good for you… 'bout time you said something to those pricks." Bobby chimed in.

"Yeah, I've been waiting for that since the first time they shoved you." James added.

Dean nodded, in full agreement with both James and Bobby. Sam sticking up for himself against those pompous idiots was way past due and the surprised looks on their faces when Sam had defended himself had been priceless.

Sam chewed on his lip, thinking silently about it. While it had been essentially spur of the moment and he hadn't really known what it was he was going to say, it had felt good to finally say, 'hey, you know what, I deserve better than that' instead of just sitting by and trying to make it roll off his back like it didn't matter because there was no way of denying that it did.

~DW/SW~

The group had decided to go the 50's diner instead of going back the snack shack where they had run in to the bullies and were currently seated in a booth against the window with Sam and Dean on one side and James and Bobby on the other. James and Bobby were trying to keep Sam's mind off of the fact that Andy was no longer a part of their group and Dean was happy to see Sam laughing and smiling a bit in between bites of his burger. He had been worried after the situation with Andy, Alex, and Ryan that even though Sam had chosen to stay at the park, he would just be in a depressed mood for the rest of the day making the trip a drag for everybody. Luckily, it seemed his brother was proving him wrong left and right today.

They were almost done with their lunch and really just letting the food settle when a young girl who looked to be about twelve or thirteen came up to their table. "Um hi…" She started as she stopped in front of Sam, a woman who Dean guessed was her mother standing beside her looking tired and worried. Dean recognized the look having stayed up worrying about Sam several times, especially over the past few months.

Sam looked curiously at the girl… she didn't look like she was about to yell at him but still with what had happened really only an hour ago, he was nervous that she'd somehow come to yell at him too. He swallowed nervously feeling Dean casually drape an arm around the back of the booth and saw James and Bobby sit up a little straighter. "Hi." He mustered.

"I… I don't mean to bother you but well um… I just wanted to say thank you." She said holding tight to her mom's hand as she stared at the floor, unable to hold Sam's gaze for very long.

"Thank you… why? What did I do?" He asked looking around at his brother and his friends to see if they could give him any clues. They all looked just as confused as he did.

"I told my secret." She finally said after a couple of minutes and Sam noticed that she was trembling and he knew instantly what kind of secret she was talking about.

"How does… how does that have anything to do with me?" He asked still wondering where he fit into all of this.

"I heard your story on the news," Sam looked away. _Course you did, everybody did_. "And… and I figured if you could run away and get through all of that then well, maybe I could too."

"Oh well um… I'm glad you got away." Sam said sincerely.

"Yeah… well um, that was all I wanted to say. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day." She said quietly and began to turn away.

Sam was quiet as he watched the girl and her mother head back to their table. He had never thought that his story could have that kind of effect on someone, that he could help someone. The only thing that he had thought of was that people would be ashamed of him or disgusted at what he'd been a part of and he swallowed thickly. "What's your name?" He asked making the girl pause and turn back to him.

"McKenna," She answered softly.

Sam nodded deciding to properly introduce himself. "Hi McKenna, it's nice to meet you. I'm Sam."

McKenna gave Sam a small smile and nodded. Sam could see the fear that was in her eyes and completely understood it, having had it haunt him for almost his entire life. He glanced back at his brother and his friends and realized that even if he still did fear strangers and new situations, he'd learned that not everything he encountered had to be a bad thing. It all depended on how he dealt with it that really mattered the most. He bit his lip before he spoke up again. "I um… I know right now it's really scary and stuff but don't worry too much about it, 'kay? There's better stuff… better people waiting for us… we just gotta be willing to stick around long enough to find it."

Dean, James, and Bobby all sat quietly watching the interaction between Sam and McKenna, all knowing that this was something that they could never understand no matter how much they all cared about Sam and wanted what was best for him.

Dean smiled softly at his brother, proud of the kid and what he had accomplished today. Not only had he finally stood up for himself but it seemed as if he had also turned a corner in his recovery and Dean was grateful that even if today had had its bumps, it had ended up being Sam's most successful outing yet. Silently, he slid his hand over to give his brother's shoulder a quick squeeze.

Sam felt Dean squeeze his shoulder and looked over at him watching as Dean mouthed 'I'm proud of you' and Sam smiled back, feeling proud of himself too for the first time that he could remember.

* * *

Hey! So, how was it and what did you guys think of our little Sammy? I'm excited to hear what you thought of the chapter and thanks again for reading and reviewing, everything you guys do is SO much appreciated! I think I can now finally say with confidence that this story is winding down and then I will start on the 3rd part of this series.

I'm hoping that since I was able to update this early, I will be able to update LN7 very, very soon. Thanks again for everything! :)


	27. Chapter 27

Hey guys! Here's the next chapter and it's a bit of a happier one, I think. I had a bit of a hard time writing the end of it so I'm not so sure if I liked the way it turned out but hopefully you guys will and you'll let me know what you thought of it.

Thanks for all your patience! Seriously, you guys really deserve a round of applause for sticking with me even with my lousy updating schedule so here's to you! By the way, I think this story has maybe 2 or 3 chapters left and then it's done.

Now, on with the show...

* * *

Sam groaned when he rolled over and realized that it was morning and he had to get up. He could smell Dean cooking breakfast down the hall and it made his stomach grumble. Minus the incident with Andy, he had had fun over the weekend but Sam could slowly feel the small bit of bravery he'd gained slipping away. He was dreading today because today he was supposed to return to school and he had no idea what to expect. He didn't know how people had reacted to what had happened and he didn't like not being able to prepare himself. Sure, he had talked to James and Bobby a little bit about it but he was sure that whatever people said to them might change in just the slightest when they actually saw him again.

~DW/SW~

Dean glanced at the clock as he served up two plates of pancakes and scrambled eggs. He sighed, knowing that Sam should have been out of his room a good fifteen minutes ago. "Kid…" He muttered as he walked down the hall, stopping outside his bedroom door. "Sammy, you awake yet, kiddo?" He asked as he knocked.

There was no answer so Dean pushed the door open and saw Sam sitting up in the bed, the covers wrapped around him, Ace sitting dutifully in front of his feet. "Breakfast's ready." He said as he stood in the doorway moving slightly as Ace brushed passed him.

Sam nodded and bit his lip before he pushed the covers back and walked out to the kitchen to eat his breakfast wondering when his friends would show up. Before he'd left the park on Saturday, James and Bobby had told him that they'd be over Thursday morning so that they could all go to school together if he wanted. He, Dean, and the school had agreed that slowly easing him back instead of having him go for an entire straight week would be fine and Sam had been glad for that. Sam had readily agreed to having his friends pick him since he didn't like the thought of stepping back inside there alone, wondering if he would see a friendly face or not.

Dean finished his breakfast and put his plate in the dishwasher. He picked up his coffee mug and turned back around to face his brother, quietly sipping the hot drink. He wondered how today would go but also thought that it might be one of Sam's better 'first days back'. As shocking as Sam defending himself had been, it seemed that it had sparked something in his brother, much like the invitation to the dance had. Sam was still shy but he didn't have that look of 'am I good enough?' on his face all the time anymore. And what was even more surprising was the fact that in just the past couple of days, Sam had finished over half of the school work that in the weeks prior he had been almost too nervous to even look at, let alone touch. His brother had turned a corner, that was for sure, and Dean was glad that the punks' plans to hurt Sam had backfired on them and they didn't even really know it.

~DW/SW~

_You can do this_ Sam thought as he stood inside his room, trying to convince himself to get dressed and ready for the day. He may have been feeling brave when he'd told his bullies to leave him alone but now, as he stood in front of his dresser trying to find a shirt, he wasn't so sure that eating eggs for breakfast had been the smartest idea.

_No, no, no, no_ he thought as he pulled out shirt after shirt from his dresser drawer, not liking any of them. As nervous as he was and as much as he planned to avoid her at all possible costs, he knew that there was a chance that he might run into Kate and for once, he wanted to try to look okay. _You have two classes with her, of course you're going to see her you dimwit_ he thought. _I could go for a sweatshirt… then she'd just think it was the normal me_ Sam thought confusedly as he tried to determine what in the hell he was going to wear. _No, you always wear sweatshirts and it's supposed to be nice out today… you won't need it_. Sighing and figuring that he would ask Dean for his advice, he made his selection and began to change.

~DW/SW~

Dean heard a car pull up and then Ace started to bark, just as he always did when someone was coming up their path and sure enough, a moment later, the doorbell rang. Dean smiled when he answered it, letting both James and Bobby into the living room. "Hey guys," He started.

"Hey Dean," They replied in unison.

"Ah… is Sam ready yet?" James asked when he saw Sam's backpack on the table but no Sam anywhere nearby. _He is coming to school today, right?_ James asked himself.

Dean was about to say that he'd go see how much longer his brother needed before he'd be ready but then they heard footsteps coming down the hall and Sam shouted, "I'm coming!"

Dean smirked at the idea that for once, he hadn't had to prod his brother along but instead Sam had actually gotten ready to leave to go somewhere, let alone school, on his own. He laughed a little and clapped his hands together when Sam finally emerged into the living room.

Gone was the baggy sweatshirt Sam had used to hide himself away all year long and in its place was a plain gray t-shirt with a green button up on top. Sam was wearing his 'favorite' pair of dark jeans with his boots. _Wonder where you got that idea from_ he thought sarcastically, if not feeling a little flattered. Dean smiled softly and gave his brother a nod of approval when Sam shyly looked his way.

Dean could see the nervousness on his brother's face and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're gonna be fine today, alright?" Sam nodded. "And I'll pick you up later, 'kay?"

Sam nodded again before he wrapped his arms around his brother's waist for a brief moment. Dean returned the hug and patted his brother on the back. "Have a good day, 'kay kid?" He smiled.

Sam smiled back. "You too." And then he was out the door and climbing into James' jeep.

~DW/SW~

James, Sam, and Bobby pulled up to the high school about twenty minutes before the bell rang. Normally, none of the three boys would have been this eager to get to school early but they had figured that maybe having a couple minutes to themselves when the halls weren't so crowded would be good for Sam thinking that this way he would be able to get back into the swing of things a little without having to be bombarded by everyone.

They sat in the car for a couple of minutes, talking before Bobby suggested they get going. James and Sam agreed and the three of them headed inside, both Bobby and James making sure to keep Sam involved in the conversation trying to help distract him as they made their way through the halls.

_See it's not so bad_ Sam thought as he smiled a little and nodded along with his friends. While he still received curious looks from a few fellow students, which to be honest, he had expected at least a few of those but nobody was growling at him and trying to shove him out the door. Instead, his classmates gazes held curiosity and sympathy which neither Sam was thrilled about but he figured that it could be worse.

He glanced ahead briefly and saw Kate standing by his locker, a friendly and happy look on her face. _Oh shit!_ He silently exclaimed, feeling his palms start to sweat. "Ah, actually, I just remembered that I don't need to grab my books. I've already got 'em." He spoke turning around immediately and beginning to head towards his history class leaving James and Bobby very confused as they chased after him. _Lame, lame excuse!_ Sam shouted at himself.

~DW/SW~

Kate had been waiting by Sam's locker, eager to see him again and let him know that she was happy he was back and okay. She knew he spotted her when his eyes got large and she'd smiled, sending a little wave to him but then Sam had turned tail and run like the soles of his feet were on fire. _Sam?_ She wondered. Kate tilted her head to the side wondering why Sam had looked like a deer caught in the headlights so suddenly.

~DW/SW~

Dean pulled up to the shop, feeling happy and relaxed as he parked the Impala next to Sean's pick-up truck. He opened the back door and walked in, letting out a little whistle when he saw the box of donuts and the coffee cup waiting for him. _Damn, it's good to be back!_ He thought rubbing his hands together before he selected a glazed donut. He finished his donut and then walked out to the front, seeing that Sean was currently dealing with a customer.

Wanting to get started and back into the swing of things, Dean grabbed the clipboard from off of the wall and looked over the cars that were in need of service, prioritizing them by which would take the longest amount of time to fix. Glancing back at Sean, he felt very grateful that he'd hired the guy and had been able to count on him so much over the past year and a half, not only as an employee but as a friend and confidant too.

"Alright, here ya go Miss." Sean said handing over a small set of keys to the young woman. "You're all set."

"Thanks." She replied as she grabbed her purse off the counter and then left, heading out to the front lot where the repaired cars were.

Sean set the lady's receipt down and then turned around, smiling when he saw Dean there. "Man, it's good to see you again!" He said as he gave Dean an excited hug.

"Yeah, you too." Dean replied, returning the hug.

"How are ya?" Sean asked, stepping back after a moment and leaning against the counter.

"Glad to be back… it's good to get back into the routine of things, ya know?" He answered before he took a sip of his coffee. "How are you?"

"Good but man, I gotta tell you, it's good to have another set of hands back here, now." Sean smirked. While he had completely understood why Dean had had to take so much time off in the past couple of months and he had managed the shop just fine on his own, it was always nice to have another set of hands working.

Dean nodded, understandingly. He had felt bad leaving Sean to deal with everything so suddenly and for such a long period of time but when he thought about it, it couldn't have been helped and he knew that Sean knew that. "Thanks for taking care of everything." Dean said sincerely as he looked around, glad to see that this time nothing was turned over or ruined but instead the front office was clean and tidy, professional looking.

Sean shrugged.

Dean finished his coffee and went to go throw it away when something on the counter caught his eye. "Speak up for those who can't? What is this?" He asked as he picked up the laminated flyer seeing a child's face on it along with a couple of numbers he recognized as the Lawrence police department and the Children's Crisis Hotline.

"It's a little something that we started… to hopefully raise awareness that child abuse can happen to anybody, anywhere." Sean explained feeling sheepish and wondering what Dean would think of it. He, Rachel, and Mike had gotten together and made the signs; wanting the public to know what to look for and who they could call if they did suspect something. Mike's family had posted the posters to their business' windows and Rachel had put one up at the child care center where she worked part-time.

Dean nodded. "That's for damn sure." He said quietly, almost to himself. "You know what Sammy did the other day?" He asked with a smile on his face.

Sean shook his head. "No, what?" He asked. He could tell that whatever it had been, it was a good thing and had made the older brother very proud.

"We were at the Fairpark ya know…" Sean smiled as he listened to Dean tell the tale of Sam finally telling someone he'd had enough ending with what he'd told the young girl, finally giving his brother a chance to see that Sam did think his life was better now than what it had been.

~DW/SW~

Sam was careful throughout the day, being sure to look for Kate and take a different route if he saw her up ahead. He knew his friends thought he was being weird but he couldn't bring himself to explain his strange behavior or why he was dragging them all over the school when there were shortcuts everywhere.

"Dude," James sighed as he followed Sam as they took the long way to get to the gym walking past the pool and tennis courts. "What's up with you?"

Sam turned back for a moment as he hitched his backpack up higher on his shoulders. "Nothing, I'm fine." He answered as he opened the door to the locker room.

"No, you're not… you're like really skittish today." _Which isn't completely unusual but I thought you were getting better _James observed standing at the end of the lockers. They had a few extra minutes to spare and he intended to use them to his advantage. "What ya so worried about?"

Sam shrugged. "I'm fine." He repeated.

"Sam," James ground out before a thought hit him. _Crap, why didn't I think of this before?! _"Today's been good so far right man? I mean, nothing's happened right?" He asked just to be certain because he and Sam didn't have every class together and he wanted to make sure no one had bothered his friend when he hadn't been around.

"Yeah, let's keep that way." Sam said stiffly as he opened his locker, surprised he remembered the combination for it and shoved his backpack inside the small, metal container.

James nodded and walked off to get ready for class himself, not all that convinced that there wasn't something bugging his friend.

~DW/SW~

Sam and James had changed into their uniforms and then followed the rest of the boys in their class out to the track as today they were running the mile today. Sam smiled a little at the classmates that said hi to him, surprised to hear a friendly voice, as he and James made their way to the far end of the track where their teacher was waiting for him. "Hi Mr. T," Sam ventured.

Mr. T looked up from his clipboard and smiled back at his student. "Hey Sam, good to have you back."

Sam nodded. "Thanks." He replied. He wasn't completely ready to say he was 'glad' to be back at school yet.

~DW/SW~

Kate saw Sam and James standing in their usual spot for when they ran the mile and went to go meet them as the three of them would usually run it together. However, just as she was about to reach them, Mr. T blew his whistle and Sam took off yelling for James to hurry up. James had looked between Sam and Kate before he'd shot Kate an apologetic smile and chased after Sam for the second time that day. _Seriously dude, you gotta knock off this fight or flight thing you've got going on today_ James silently told Sam.

Kate stood on the side of the track for a moment, feeling immensely confused before she shook her head and took off, ignoring both Sam and James as she passed by them, hurt filling her that Sam didn't seem to want to talk to her.

~DW/SW~

James looked at Sam as they slowed their pace to a walk since they were on their last lap. "What's up with you?" He repeated, determined to get to the bottom of this.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, playing dumb.

"I mean, how you'll talk to anybody else in our classes but you're ignoring Kate… what's up with that?" James questioned thinking that normally; it was the other way around.

Sam shrugged. "Just don't feel like talking."

"You're talking to me." James pointed out.

"Well, maybe I shouldn't be." Sam replied before he stormed off, finishing his lap and then heading straight for the lockers.

~DW/SW~

_Dude!_ James watched Sam storm off and shook his head. _Fine, he wants to act that way, then he can go right ahead_ he thought sulking a bit as he walked back to the locker rooms. He changed quickly and was about to leave without Sam when he sighed and leaned against the building. _It's his first day back, he's probably really nervous_ he thought to himself. "Hey," He said, gently shoving Sam with his shoulder, trying to let his friend know that he wasn't angry with him.

"Hey," Sam replied, still looking a bit nervous but it seemed he had calmed down from just a few minutes ago and together they entered the gym spotting Bobby already waiting for them.

~DW/SW~

Andy watched Sam and James walk into the gym, smiling and laughing, and sulked further down in his seat. He hated the fact that Ryan and Alex had been suspended, kind of leaving him in a lurch at school. It wasn't that James and Bobby were his only friends but still, it sucked. _Screw him_ Andy thought as he watched Sam, his pride hurt more than anything really and covering up the fact that he kind of knew he deserved to be on his own at school. He had not been expecting Sam to stand up for himself when they were at the water park and he knew Ryan and Alex had been shocked too and that had been part of the reason why they had picked him to tease… they had figured he would be an easy target that they wouldn't have worry about.

~DW/SW~

Sam entered his science class, feeling extremely nervous even though he'd just come from his English class, where he'd been met with a very relieved welcoming back from Mike.

_She's not here yet_ Sam noticed as soon as he'd walked in the door. He'd avoided Kate, successfully, all day despite having a class with her but he didn't know how it would go now since they shared a table. He was headed to his normal seat when he saw that another student was already seated there. _What…?_ He asked himself, confused and beginning to panic a little. His panic upped a notch when he saw someone who definitely wasn't Kate take her seat. He bit his lip and hesitantly walked over to his teacher, unsure of where he should go.

After getting direction from his teacher, Sam found his seat, which was clear on the other side of the room and next to someone he'd never spoken two words to. _Terrific!_ Sam growled to himself. The red haired boy seemed to ignore him and spun around in his chair, entertaining himself, as they waited for the bell to ring. _Can this day please just end?_ Sam begged, his shoulders sinking even further when he saw the look Kate was shooting him.

~DW/SW~

Sean and Dean heard the bell ding and Dean peaked his head out the door, smiling when he saw Sam walk in. "Hey," He called setting down the wrench he'd grabbed and went into his office, grabbing a soda from the fridge. "Here," He handed the soda to his brother and then headed back into the shop, Sam trailing behind him.

"Sammy, good to see you kid!" Sean smiled as he walked over to the teen and gave the kid a hug, both he and Dean noticing that Sam didn't seem completely thrilled at the moment.

"Hi Sean," Sam replied trying to appear happy to see his friend but the days' events catching up to him.

"What's up?" Dean asked concerned. When Sam had called him earlier in the afternoon to ask if he could go grab something to eat with James and Bobby, he'd been ecstatic but now it seemed that maybe the day hadn't gone quite as well as he'd hoped it had.

Sam shrugged and took a seat on one of the stools. "I messed up." He sighed.

"How so?" Sean asked while Dean paused from shuffling receipts and order forms to look over at his brother.

"I didn't talk to her at all." Sam started before he launched into an explanation of just what he'd done wrong that day. "I mean, she tried to… and was waiting for me and… and I just blew her off... repeatedly."

"Why?" Dean asked, surprised in a way to hear that Sam had been 'mean' to someone.

"Cause I was scared." Sam answered after another moment had passed.

"I thought you guys were friends Sam… what were you scared of?" Dean questioned even though he had an idea as to what it was.

Sam sighed. "I… I just… I didn't want to get hurt." He said softly.

Dean hated to do this, especially when it was obvious his brother felt bad but maybe the kid needed a little reality check. "Yeah but isn't that what you did to her?" He asked with his arms crossed over his chest and a serious look on his face.

Sam looked up at his brother and knew he wasn't getting off the hook on this one. "Yeah, I guess."

Dean sighed and rubbed his hands over his face tiredly. "You guess?" Dean asked. "Sam, you'd be crushed if you tried to talk to her and she ignored you all day and went out of her way to make sure you two didn't cross paths, right?"

Sam nodded as he eyed the phone on the wall.

Dean and Sean followed Sam's gaze and both shook their heads.

"No?" Sam asked confused. He had thought he should give her a call to apologize.

"No." Dean answered. "This is something you do in person Sam. Just talk to her tomorrow."

"What if she's mad at me?" Sam asked as he thought back to the hurt look Kate had shot him during science.

"Then you say you're sorry and you didn't mean to hurt her… just explain it a bit." Dean suggested. "But yeah, it's a possibility that she might be a bit upset with you."

"Explain it? Yeah, that's what I want to do Dean, take her aside and tell her everything… that'll go great!" Sam replied sarcastically, misunderstanding what Dean had said.

"You don't have to explain that Sam, just tell her why you avoided her yesterday." He clarified.

Sam bit his lip and nodded, even if he still wasn't so sure about what he was going to say tomorrow.

~DW/SW~

The next morning at school ended up being pretty uneventful. Sam, James, and Bobby had all arrived at school together, this time with only ten minutes to spare. Sam had looked for Kate in between his classes but hadn't seen her anywhere, slowly wearing down on the courage he had built up. He'd seen her in PE but she'd ignored him making James give Sam a pointed but sympathetic look. He guessed he deserved it but still, it sucked. _I'm sorry_ he silently pleaded. His courage was now down to pretty much nothing and he really didn't feel like getting shot down again.

Sam bit his lip as he sat at his lunch table, trying to listen to the conversation between James and Bobby but instead, he found his gaze kept drifting over to where Kate sat in the corner. She was surrounded by a small group of friends and it looked to him as if she wasn't missing him at all. He was brought back to his own small group of friends when he realized Bobby was waving his hand in front of his face. "Dude, just go and talk to her already." He encouraged though he did sound a little exasperated.

Sam stubbornly shook his head no.

"Why not?" James asked giving Sam a serious look.

Sam shrugged as he knew his friends wouldn't understand how he could be afraid of her. They hadn't experienced the same things he had and would never have to tell the girl they liked his history. _Of course she already knows it_ Sam thought to himself.

"You know you're kind of being a jerk, right?" James asked Sam and reminding him of the conversation he'd had yesterday with his brother and Sean.

Sam looked confused, he really wasn't trying to be.

"Look, she really, really likes you, okay? And you… ignoring her… you don't have to worry about her." Bobby explained. "What's the worst that could happen? She turn you down even though I know she won't because she truly does like you and even if she did, so what? All that means is she's not the one for you but you're never going to know that if you never go and talk to her again so stop being so freaking self-conscious and go talk to the girl!"

_I'm not that self-conscious, am I?_ He asked himself even though he knew he was. Sam sighed and after a moment, he got up from his seat , standing hesitantly in front of his friends.

"Go, we'll be here." James reassured.

Sam nodded and then set off for the other side of the gym, feeling like his heart was beating about a mile a minute. _Was I being a jerk? I didn't know I was… what do I say to her? What if she doesn't want to talk to me?_ He asked himself, feeling his palms start to sweat and he glanced back at his table seeing that both James and Bobby were watching him. After what seemed like forever to Sam but was only a couple of short minutes, Sam reached Kate's table and stood there feeling extremely awkward. "Ah Kate?" He said hesitantly tapping her on the shoulder.

Kate turned around when she felt a tap on her shoulder, a blank look on her face when she spotted Sam. "Hi." She was still hurt from how he had ignored her yesterday and didn't feel like letting him slide completely off the hook.

_Now, what do I do?_ Sam asked himself, wishing he could somehow be receiving direction from his older brother right now. "Can we talk?" He finally sighed.

After a moment, Kate nodded. "I'll be back." She said to her friends before she and Sam walked a little ways away to the field. "So…" She started when she realized Sam wasn't going to start talking. "I'm glad you're back."

Sam nodded. "Thanks." He said softly before he stopped walking and turned around, taking a seat on the football field. He swallowed thickly, having no idea where to take things from here.

"How are you?" Kate asked, her anger starting to give away when she saw the scared look on her crushes' face.

"Nervous." Sam answered honestly.

"Why?" Kate asked. "It's just me."

Sam scoffed. "That's why I am nervous…" He drifted off and looked in the opposite direction. "I'm sorry I ignored you yesterday."

"Yeah, what was that about?" She asked.

Sam shrugged. "I… I wasn't doing it to hurt you. I just, I… this is hard." He whispered to himself. "I… I like you Kate," Sam said, feeling extremely shaky. He'd never said that to a girl before, he'd never had the chance to and he had no idea what her reaction would be. _She likes you too_ Sam told himself. "I just… I didn't want you to hurt me."

"How would I do that?" Kate asked, shock and surprise in her voice even as she fought the smile that was pulling at her lips at hearing Sam say that he liked her.

Sam shrugged again, still not looking at her. "I wasn't sure you'd want to see me… or what you would say when you did."

Kate looked at Sam before she shook her head and brushed her hair back, tucking it behind her shoulders. "You really think that's the kind of friend I am Sam? I've liked you all year long…" _I thought it was really kind of obvious_ she thought to herself.

Sam cut her off. "Why?" He asked. He was having a hard time why someone would pick him out of everybody available to have a crush on, it just didn't seem logical. "What's so special about me?" Sam asked hoping Kate would say something because he didn't know what he'd do if she left him hanging, waiting for an answer.

Kate bit her lip, beginning to feel self-conscious herself as she blushed. "You're nice." She started. "And smart, I mean you actually have a working brain which is rare here…" She smiled a little as she motioned to their fellow classmates. "I mean, most of the guys here are like macho freaks who only think with their hormones and libido. Plus, you have the cutest dimples when you smile." She admitted before she hid her face in her hands, blushing bright red at her admission

Sam blushed, even as he smiled, showing off the dimples Kate had just mentioned. "You think so?" He asked, looking as if he hadn't believed a word she'd just said.

Kate nodded.

Sam bit his lip nervously. "So, what do we do now?" He asked unsure of where to take the conversation and having a really hard time getting passed the fact that someone, a girl, who knew he'd been hurt and had past thought he was cute and had an honest-to-God crush on him. That was something he didn't think would ever happen.

"We stay friends and stop ignoring each other." Kate suggested after a moment had passed.

Sam nodded. "I'd… I'd like that." He said quietly. Before, he hadn't ever gone for what he wanted because he didn't think he'd be able to get it; positive that someone or something would stand in his way and tell him that no, he wasn't good enough to have that but maybe, just maybe he could think a little bit about what he wanted Sam thought as he looked at Kate, trying hard not to smile too wide.

* * *

Hey, so was that? See, I'm not sure about the end... if maybe everything is phrased right or if it happened too fast or if Sammy's reactions/ emotions are okay ... tell me what you think, please? I don't have work this week at all so I'm going to try and write as much as I can and get another chapter up soon. Thanks again for reading and reviewing! :)


	28. Chapter 28

Hey guys! Here's a little bit of a continuation of Sam and Kate's relationship... I hope you don't think the chapter's too short or that not enough happens in it but it's kind of a set-up for the next chapter and I think quite a few of you will be happy with the way this turns out, or at least I hope so ;)

I'm a little bit concerned about the way the middle part of the chap is so hopefully that section turned out alright. I start school in a little over a week and I'll be gone this weekend but I promise I'll try to update as soon as I can, especially since I have a very clear idea of what the next chapter will be like. I have pretty much all of it mapped out in my head so hopefully, I can get it done before school starts.

Thanks again SO much for all of your support, both to the people who read this story and leave me your thoughts (which I love!) and to everyone else, I really appreciate it! I know you guys don't really know what the next story is going to be about other than it's Sam's senior year in high school but if anyone has a suggestion for a title, I'd really like to hear it... I know what the last story is going to be called but this next one, I don't know.

Okay, wow, enough of me rambling! Thanks for reading and I hope you'll enjoy it! :)

* * *

Dean knew the moment that Sam walked into the shop that his brother had had a good day at school, possibly his best one yet if the smile on his face was anything to go by. It was bright and wide and his eyes didn't have any trace of fear or anxiousness in them, something Dean was elated to see. "Hey Dean!" Sam smiled as he walked through the reception area and back to the actual shop.

"Hey," He said wiping his hands off and then going to grab some more tools he needed. "You have a good day?" He asked wanting Sam to verbally confirm his thoughts, even if he could normally read the kid like a book.

Sam nodded as he thought back to how well his talk with Kate had gone. Not only had she not yelled at him or turned him down but she had admitted to her own feelings towards him. _She has a crush on me!_ He excitedly told himself, still not able to really believe it… that she would choose him over everyone else that was out there. For her to pick him was beyond his wildest dreams and he reveled in the fact that the smile that had been on her face had seemed pretty genuine and he was trying hard to not let himself dwell on the what-ifs?

"Yeah, tell me about it." Dean said grabbing one of the rolling stools and placing it beside the Ford Taurus he was working on.

Sam followed his brother back towards the champagne colored sedan. "Where's Sean?" He asked noticing that they were the only two in the shop as he took a seat, leaning up against the filing cabinet and grabbing the can of coke Dean had set out for him.

"Ah, he had to go pick up a couple of orders, he should be back soon." Dean explained as he looked at his watch seeing that it was almost four-thirty. He was glad that James had offered to drive Sam home after his baseball practice since this car was turning out to be a bit of a bitch to fix… he knew the young, prissy woman who owned would not be happy when he told her the final price. Sighing and leaving that problem for later, he turned back to his brother. "So, how was it?" He repeated, trying to push his brother into talking about today even though he could tell that this wasn't something Sam was going to put walls up for or at least he thought he wouldn't.

"Well I ah… I talked to Kate." Sam started, biting his lip and letting his dimples show a little. He blushed when he remembered Kate saying she liked them.

Dean smirked from behind the hood of the car as he imagined the somewhat dreamy look his brother was sporting. "Yeah, what did you guys talk about?" Dean asked as he played dumb even though he hoped Sam had followed Sean's and his advice from yesterday.

"I told her I was sorry for ignoring her and she asked me why I did that and… and I told her." Sam drifted off, his voice softening a bit.

Dean straightened up a bit and he peered over at Sam from over the top of the hood. He wasn't sure what his brother had told Kate but he highly doubted it was anything about his past. It had taken him several months to get the kid to open up… he doubted Sam would open up to a girl, that he really liked, about what he'd been through just all of a sudden… that just wasn't his brother. "What did she say Sam?" He asked when his brother remained quiet, hoping that the girl had turned out to be another true friend of the kid's instead of a spineless shithead like Andy had been.

"I told her it was because I was scared and she said that I shouldn't have been. She um… she said she was glad I was back." Sam's smile returned a little.

_See, we told you she missed you_ Dean thought to himself as he nodded for his brother to continue.

"And she said she still wants to be friends." Sam looked up at Dean, his dimples on full-force again. "She still wants to hang out." Though Sam smiled as he relayed his conversation to his brother, Dean thought Sam's voice contained a bit of disbelief to it.

Dean nodded, smiling back at his brother feeling glad to hear that Sam had had a successful chat with the girl. Now, if he could just figure out some way to convince Sam to ask her out. _Yeah, like that'll be easy_ Dean thought sarcastically knowing that it would be hard to convince his brother that Kate liked him enough to go on a date with him. _Cross that bridge when you actually get to it, just be glad he's talking to her again_ Dean told himself. "See, nothing to worry about." He reassured turning back to the job at hand and hoping that Sean returned soon… this really was a two man job.

Sam nodded, seemingly in agreement and sat back on the stool watching Dean for a couple of minutes before he leaned down to open his backpack to get started on a bit of his homework as he waited for them to head home.

~DW/SW~

A week had passed since Sam had returned to school and he was finding that it wasn't so bad or at least not as dreadful as he had imagined it would be. He still hadn't talked to Andy since their fight at the park and it was a bit awkward when he'd see him in the halls but James and Bobby would just glare at Andy until they passed by, never once giving their ex-friend the chance to say anything further to Sam.

Andy was pretty much the only one that really paid any sort of negative attention to Sam nowadays as it seemed that the rest of the student population had gone back to their own worlds and their own social groups now that they had some sort of explanation for his sudden appearance at the start of the year and his scars and odd behavior. Though he didn't necessarily want their pity, Sam felt relieved that the majority of his classmates were much kinder to him than they had been all year even if it was a bit hard to get passed the fact that their original judgments of him hadn't been all that pleasant to deal with.

He wasn't used to having people sending him smiles or little waves as he walked down the hall, flanked by his friends and he hoped he was reacting the 'right' way. He'd expected people to ask him questions about if it was true and want the nitty, gritty details of it all. Sam wasn't naïve enough to think that silently no one was asking questions or still wondering but he appreciated that they kept their comments to themselves… he didn't want to hear their reactions to what he'd been through or have to try and explain fact from fiction, he just didn't think he had it in him to do it again. Though, with having James and Bobby and even Kate beside him, he was sure that anyone who did think to ask him about it wouldn't have gotten very far anyways.

Sometimes, he felt that his friends were a little too over protective, especially if someone glanced in his direction for too long or if some whispered and heated conversation started up as he walked by. And though, those secretive glances and hushed conversations did create questions in his head, he was trying extremely hard to not let his mind get too carried away with what they could possibly be about. When Sam did hear whispered conversations or start to feel self-conscious, he would think back to how James had one way or another attacked Zack in the beginning of the year or how Bobby had told Ryan to fuck off and he tried to simply focus on the fact that he knew who his friends were and he knew who he could count on. After years of having no one, it was a nice relief to know that there were people who had his back and would look out for him.

Things were different with Kate too. Sam didn't really know what to call it but the two of them would share smiles in class more often than they used to and he found that he wasn't so afraid to look up and see if she was smiling back at him either. In addition to the increased amount of attention they were both receiving from one another and after hearing her explanation about why she liked him, Sam found that he doubted her intentions towards him less and less. He'd also noticed in the past week since he'd gone back to school that the girl could be quite feisty and he often found it amusing when something would happen to wind her up.

He had also taken to not spending every moment at home with his brother and had actually gone out to grab something to eat with his friends the other night, Kate included. And even though he had gone to grab pizza with them once before, this time it had felt different. He'd been able to relax more and he hadn't been so jumpy or frightened when James had asked him if he'd like to go. He thought that that might have been due to the fact that he hadn't been trying to hide anything like he had the last time they'd all gone out.

_Maybe life can be okay_ Sam thought as he turned back to copying his science notes from off of the overhead while he listened to his teacher lecture about the process of photosynthesis. A few minutes later, the bell rang and everyone started to pack up and was soon heading out the door to go to their last class of the day. Falling into the routine that he and Kate had started when they realized that both of their last classes were in the same building now that Sam's schedule had changed a little, he stood outside the door and waited for her. "Hey," He smiled shyly as they set off.

"Hey," She smiled back. The two of them walked in not uncomfortable silence as they turned down the corner and went up the quad steps. "So um, Sam… can I ask you something?" Kate asked her tone soft and shy, a few minutes later.

Sam wasn't sure what it was she was going to ask him and a part of him was fearful that she'd begin to question him about 'what really went down' at the diner as he had heard a select group of students put it. _She's my friend_ Sam reminded himself as he nodded, despite the nervous feeling in his stomach. "Okay."

"Are you busy this Saturday?" Kate asked, risking a glance in his direction.

_I don't do anything unless I'm with you guys so no, I'm not busy_ Sam thought to himself. "Um, yeah… I think so, why?" He lied, not wanting to completely put himself out there. He could always 'cancel' whatever it was he had planned if this seemed like an okay situation.

"It's my birthday and I was wondering if you'd want to come? I'm going to invite James and Bobby too." Kate added hoping that if Sam knew his other friends would be there, he might be more okay going.

Sam nodded, biting his lip nervously. He'd never gotten an invitation like this before. "What… what time on Saturday?" Sam asked wondering if he should accept the invitation or not. He knew Dean would tell him to.

"Noonish probably." Kate answered as they arrived outside her class. "You can think about it, okay?" She offered, trying to make it seem like she wasn't backing him into a corner or something.

"Yeah, yeah, okay." Sam finally relented as he watched her go into her classroom.

~DW/SW~

Sam was grateful that it was the last class of the day and his counseling class so he didn't have to try to pay attention to whatever lecture his history teacher was giving or take notes on some science video as his mind wandered back to Kate's invitation. _She wants me there, she asked me to come_ Sam thought to himself in wonder. He'd never been invited to a birthday party before… not from a fellow student and definitely not from a girl. Sam remembered how it used to be back before he had this, before he had Dean and before he had friends to call his own.

_Sam sat hunched over in his seat in his sixth grade CORE class, hoping that the grumble of his stomach wasn't loud enough for his classmates to hear. He hadn't been able to grab the leftovers from dinner last night out of the trash before he'd had to start the thirty minute walk to school… he couldn't be late again, not if he didn't want Sheryl to get angry with him. 'She's already angry.' Sam thought to himself as he wondered when things had changed and what he had done to make her so hateful towards him now._

_Sam looked around the room with shy eyes, making sure to avoid eye contact with everybody. It was easy since nobody really paid him much attention anyways. Silently, he took in the obviously new clothes his classmates were wearing and how they seemed to have all the right school supplies. _

"_Don't cry over this, you big baby." Sam heard George's voice in his head as he felt tears prick his eyes. He knew his jeans were way too small as they didn't even reach his ankles! And the sweatshirt he was wearing had more holes in it then Swiss cheese. And while his classmates had backpacks full of everything they would need to be successful, all Sam had were the short, stubby pencils and a few sheets of paper he'd been able to take from George's office without him noticing. Sam felt his heart plummet as he realized once again that he didn't fit in here and that chances were, he never would. _

_Movement caught Sam's eye and he watched, still with his head bowed, as a girl got up and began to walk around the room. Sam thought her name was Kelsey but he wasn't sure… no one ever took the time to introduce themselves to him but he was okay with that. He knew it was bad to interact with him. Sam watched as Kelsey walked up and down the rows of desks, handing a white envelope to everybody in the class. He knew what it was, knew it was an invitation to a birthday party even though he'd never been invited to one. Sam returned his attention to the reading page in front of him, trying to ignore the excited whispers about the party since he knew he wouldn't be able to participate._

_Suddenly, Kelsey was in front of his desk and she had stopped and was staring at him. Sam felt his heart rate begin to speed up at the prospect of what she could possibly say to him. Did she have an envelope for him? Sam knew he wouldn't be able to go, he knew he wouldn't be able to afford to buy her a present and there was no way he could show up with nothing even though that was what he had… what he was. Besides, George and Sheryl would never let him go… they'd say he'd ruin the party because he wouldn't know how to behave himself and Sam knew it was true so no matter how hard he wanted to be invited, he prayed he wasn't._

_Still, it didn't hurt any less when Kelsey had coughed like she was uncomfortable around him and didn't know if he'd understand her or not. "Can you ah…" Sam looked up when she drifted off and instantly wished he hadn't. Kelsey looked as if she had just stepped in something that was even too gross for the sewer rats to have. "I need you to move." She said quickly, like if she didn't get away from him soon enough, she'd catch whatever it was he had. And she definitely didn't want that!_

"_Sorry." Sam had whispered as he'd picked his ratty knapsack and falling apart school books up and held them on his lap, his finger nails digging into his arms as he tried to keep from crying at the harsh and disgusted tone of her voice._

Sam was startled out of his memories when he heard the bell ring and he quickly glanced up, hoping that no one would notice the fact that his mind had obviously wandered or that his eyes were a bit wetter than they had been just a few minutes ago. He knew that if his classmates cared to notice or cared to wonder why he was upset, they would probably think it had something to do with the 'incident' as it had come to be known.

Sam breathed deep and tried to calm himself down as he reminded himself that the too small clothes, the empty, growling stomach and the loneliness of being ignored was in the past. He may not have a little white envelope that told him who the party was for or when and where to show up but he did have the memory of Kate asking him if he was free and the sincerity that had showed in her eyes when she had explained it was her birthday and then invited him to it.

~DW/SW~

Dean stood in the kitchen cooking dinner, watching while Sam sat on the couch in the living room doing his homework with Ace sitting beside him, playing with one of his chew toys, a squeak occasionally sounding from the fake newspaper. He had noticed that something was off with the kid and he wondered what it was. Sam didn't look as if he'd had a bad day; he'd been smiling and happy when Dean had picked him up from the front parking lot. It was more like he was distracted and puzzled rather than upset and Dean used that knowledge to calm his nerves. With only a month and a half left of school, he was really hoping that the kid would be able to finish on a high note and would be able to start his summer off right.

Dean finished stirring the rice and turned off the stove, adding it to the two plates on the counter. He pulled the tray with the French bread out of the oven and cut it up; giving both Sam and himself two slices each. He walked into the living room setting both his and Sam's plates down on the coffee table before he headed back to get their drinks. Seeing that Sam had closed his school books and shoved his homework to the side, Dean turned the TV on and switched around for something that they would both enjoy. Dean finally settled for some random half hour comedy since he knew that the more serious crime dramas and such including the evening news were often hard for his brother to watch… the violence and situations too real for him, even now.

The show had just ended and another one was starting when Sam wiped his hands on his napkin and sat back, leaning against the couch. He let out a sigh and Dean watched his brother's gaze dance from one side of the room to the other, like he was watching a silent debate that only he had been invited to.

"Something on your mind?" Dean asked after he took a swig of his drink.

Sam sighed again and nodded.

"You wanna share?" Dean asked nudging his brother with his knee a little.

Sam turned around so he was facing his brother. He pulled his knees to his chest and folded his arms around them, his head resting on top. "It's Kate's birthday on Saturday and she invited me to go." Sam said hesitantly.

Dean quirked an eyebrow at his brother, surprised that Sam wasn't acting happier about this. "And that's a bad thing?" He asked as he felt slightly confused.

Sam shrugged. "Besides ours and Mike's and Sean's, I've never been to one… never really been invited before." They'd gone to a couple of Dean's other friend's parties but he had always felt that even though everyone there was nice to him, he was there simply because of Dean. This was the first party he'd been invited to that Dean wasn't going to attend.

"Well, obviously she wants you to go." Dean responded after a minute. "Do you want to go?" He'd be very surprised if the kid said no, what with the crush his brother had going on.

Sam nodded a little as he thought back to how maybe now; it might be okay for him to occasionally want something. "It… it could be fun, I guess." He answered shyly. "I just… I wouldn't know what to get her and what if there are people there I don't know and her parents are going to be there, what if they don't like me?" Sam asked, looking up at his big brother. He had never met Kate's parents before and he didn't know how welcoming they would be to him as he was sure that they had heard about him from the news and possibly from Kate herself. What if they didn't want him there? What if he wasn't welcome inside their home and Kate just didn't realize it? Sam thought back to how kindly James' parents had treated him; he could only hope Kate's parents would react the same way. Sam sighed for a third time as questions and doubts filled his head.

Dean watched with concern as questions filled his brother's hazel eyes. He was glad but not really all that surprised that Kate had extended the invitation to Sam and was wondering what he could do or say to make this seem like a positive to his brother. "I think you would have fun." Dean started, trying to be encouraging. "Do you know who else she invited?" He asked, hoping that if a familiar face was going, it would be easier to convince his brother to join them.

"James and Bobby, I don't know who else." Sam replied making Dean feel a bit better. "But still Dean, what do I get her? I mean, I didn't really know what to get you except for what Mike said you might like."

"Then you ask her what she wants for her birthday… it doesn't have to be something really expensive either, Sam." Dean explained. It was times like these when he realized just how far behind socially Sam was from the rest of his peers. Most guys would be jumping if they got invited to a cute girl's party and yeah sure, they'd all want to impress her but Sam seemed almost to be dreading it.

Sam nodded, biting his lip. "Do you think I'd be okay there?" He asked hesitantly.

Dean studied his brother for a moment, trying to figure out what the kid meant. When it clicked, he sighed. "I do… I think you would have fun Sam, really. And she obviously wants your company and yeah, I don't know her parents or her family but she's a nice girl, right?"

Sam nodded.

"Well, that had to come from somewhere. I'm sure you'd have lots of fun if you went and I for one think you should." Dean said standing and grabbing both empty plates and cups.

"Yeah, maybe." Sam sighed. He wanted to go, he did but he wasn't sure he could. He knew he fit in with James, Bobby, and Kate when they were at school or at least he liked to think that he did but he wasn't sure how it would be if they all went to her house and had to interact with her friends that he didn't know and her family who he'd never met before. Sighing again, Sam glanced up to see his brother staring at him. "What?" He asked.

"Tomorrow ask her what she wants and then I'll give you some money so we can go get it after school, 'kay?" Dean said he was determined to get his brother to this party. Normally, he'd be a little apprehensive about sending his brother off to a teenage party since he knew that lots of those, or at least the typical ones, involved things that Sam had already experienced enough of for right now and he knew how bad his brother could react to certain triggers… he definitely didn't want Sam to feel pressured to do something he feared or have one of his panic attacks or breakdowns around people who he was sure would be less than compassionate. But he highly doubted Kate, who had been friends with the kid all year long would do anything like that and it made him feel a bit better about giving his brother the 'go-ahead'.

~DW/SW~

Sam turned to James as they entered the locker room the next day. "Are you going tomorrow?" He asked, biting his lip nervously. The invite was all he'd thought about today and whether or not he was going to accept it… he knew Dean wanted him to go, he'd made that plenty clear last night.

"You mean to Kate's party?" James clarified.

Sam nodded.

"Yeah, I think so, I know Bobby's going. Are you?" James asked, pausing by Sam's locker.

Sam bit his lip again and turned away. "I'm not sure." He mumbled.

"Why not?" James asked curiously. "It'll be fun."

"Yeah, that's what everybody keeps saying." Sam replied as he set his backpack down and took out his PE clothes reminding himself to put them in his backpack at the end of class so he could bring them home.

"Why don't you wanna go?" James asked, a little surprised but also sort of expecting his friend's hesitation. "I would have thought that you'd been thrilled."

Sam shrugged as he sat on the bench between the rows of lockers, his hands fidgeting nervously in the cloth of his shirt.

James shook his head a little at his friend. "Pretty damn sure she wants you to go." He reassured before he walked off to go change himself.

~DW/SW~

Sam saw Kate enter the gym and gulped nervously as he fixed his gaze on the shiny, hardwood floor. _Here goes nothing_ he thought when she started to walk towards them.

"Hey," She smiled at both Sam and James.

"Hey," James nodded back, a smile on his face too. "I can go so…" He drifted off.

Kate nodded, silently hoping that James' acceptance would go a ways in getting Sam to attend the party too. She really wanted him to be there.

"I get off work at 12:30 so I'll be a little late." James explained further.

"That's fine." Kate said, waving off James' worry about it.

"You got a job?" Sam asked, sounding surprised as he looked up for the first time since Kate had walked over.

James nodded. "Yeah, I'm a bag boy down at the market." He smirked. "Real exciting time down there."

Sam smiled a little at his friends' sarcasm.

They stood around for a couple of minutes, a semi-awkward silence hanging over them before Kate spoke again. "So, do you know if you can come or not?" She asked turning to face Sam shyly, biting her lip and hoping that Sam would say yes. Even though Sam had originally said he'd been busy, she hadn't totally bought that since she knew how reluctant he could be and had chosen not to call him on it, deciding to be patient and see if he came around first.

Sam glanced quickly at her before looking back at James who was silently urging him to say yes. After a moment, he nodded.

"Yeah!" Kate squealed happily. "I'm so glad you guys can come."

Sam nodded somewhat awkwardly, wondering what he had just got himself into. _Well, at least Dean will be happy_ Sam thought to himself. He was saved from any other awkwardness as Mr. T entered the room and blew his whistle, ordering all of his students to line up for roll-call.

* * *

So, how was that? Like I said earlier, I have a clear idea of what the next chap will be like so I will work hard to get it out soon. Thanks again for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and would really like to hear your thoughts on it! :)


	29. Chapter 29

Hey everybody! I'm back now (I think) I'm sorry this update took forever but I've just been crazy busy these past two weeks with school starting and such... thanks for hanging in there with me! I tried to make the end of this chapter realistic and touch on things that Sam would think about but I'm not quite sure I completely pulled it off so hopefully you guys can let me know what you think.

And I think I may have said that this chapter was the last one but I think we only have about one or two more chapters left for this story and then I will hopefully be able to get started on the next story which I'm pretty sure is going to be called Family Matters.

Thanks again for sticking with me for so long! I hope the quality of this chapter makes up for how long it took me to write it :D And as always, I would love to hear your opinions on it so feel free to let me know what you liked and didn't like. I'll try to update soon, certainly sooner than this last one. :)

* * *

Sam was feeling more and more nervous the closer they got to Kate's house, the butterflies in his stomach moving about a mile a minute. His hands were sweating and he had them wrapped around a section of his jeans to try and keep the shaking to a minimum. He chewed his lip as he glanced at the presents that were in his lap remembering how long he had taken to finally decide on them when he and Dean had gone to the store yesterday. Even with knowing that his brother had had girlfriends before and had shopped for women before, Sam had practically taken his head off every time Dean tried to suggest something just because he had been so incredibly anxious. _Please let her like them_ he pleaded. He didn't know what he'd do if she didn't like what he'd gotten her.

"Stop worrying so much Sam. The party's gonna be fun today, you'll see." Dean said reassuringly as he tried to calm his brother down.

Sam glanced over and saw that Dean had a relaxed smile on his face and he tried to calm himself down a bit too.

Dean could practically feel the tension rolling off his brother as Sam sat silent in the passenger seat, his gaze almost completely focused solely on his lap. He could see Kate's driveway coming up and he wanted to calm his brother down before pushing him out of the car as sending the kid into a strange house when he was full of anxiety did not sound all that appealing to Dean. Hell, he was nervous about sending Sam anywhere without him but deep down, he knew Sam needed to do this. He needed to take this step and see that other people's houses were just as safe as his own. Still though, that didn't really make dropping the kid off and then leaving him all that much easier. _You drop him off every day at school and leave him to go to work_ Dean told himself. _Yeah but that's different… Mike's there to watch him_ he silently rebutted. _And his friends are here with him… he'll be fine_ Dean thought as he unconsciously slowed his speed down to try and delay the inevitable.

Sam tried to let out a breath when he saw Kate's driveway not that far ahead but it came out more as a shaky whimper.

"Sammy," Dean sighed forgetting about his own silent argument and reaching over to gently pat Sam's knee. Sam let go of the presents with one hand to squeeze his brother's hand in a vice like grip. _Shit kid_ Dean thought when he realized just how tightly Sam had latched onto him. "You guys are going to eat junk food, hang out, sing Happy Birthday to her, and watch her open her presents and then I'll come get you." He said as he gave his brother a run through of what the day would consist of. He knew that Sam knew how parties worked but sometimes it helped if he was actually told what to expect.

Sam nodded, loosening his grip on Dean's hand a bit before pulling away all together. He began to feel a tiny bit relieved when he spotted Bobby's Mustang parked not that far down the block. _At least he's already here_ Sam thought glad that he wouldn't be showing up to the party with Kate as the only real familiar face especially since he knew James wouldn't be showing up for a good half hour or so.

_There's not too many cars here _Sam thought relieved to see that the street wasn't overflowing with kids from school clambering out of their cars. He'd never really been to a 'high school' party before and was quite a bit uneasy about what to expect… the few teen movies he'd seen and the party he had attended with Dean almost a year and a half ago not really doing much to reassure him that it wasn't anything more than an excuse to get drunk and a chance to get laid. _Kate's not like that and besides her parents are here_ he thought, he really couldn't see the girl he had a crush on tossing back bottle after bottle but then again, the majority of his attackers had looked ordinary too. _Don't think about them_ Sam told himself knowing that if he even started down that road, Dean had better drive him back home because there was no way he'd be able to be around a bunch of new people with _those_ thoughts and memories in his head.

Sighing and turning back to his brother as Dean parked the car on the opposite side of the street, Sam let a shaky smile appear on his face.

Dean smiled back, clapping his brother on the shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze hoping that his touch could instill a little bit of confidence into the kid. "Have fun okay?" He said encouragingly. "And remember, if something does happen and you're not okay with it… just say so, alright? There is nothing wrong with saying you don't want to do something." Dean knew Sam still had a tendency to keep his mouth shut and go along with something even if he really didn't want to. He could usually find the courage to speak up to Dean but with pretty much anybody else, Sam still refused to share his opinion the majority of the time… Dean hoped that it wouldn't always be that way knowing that if Sam was ever going to be independent one day, then he would have to learn how to assert himself. _He'll get there_ Dean told himself knowing now was not the time to worry about that.

Sam nodded. _If he thought this was a bad idea, he wouldn't be so confident about you going so just relax_ Sam told himself trying to gain some courage from his big brother's faith in him. "I'll try." He replied softly.

Dean nodded back at his brother, knowing that was all he could hope for. He watched as Sam opened the passenger door and climbed out, clutching both of Kate's presents in his shaking hands. Dean gave his brother another smile and a little wave, watching as Sam made it safely across the street. He waited until he saw Sam safely enter the house before he pulled away trying to chase away his own nerves. _He has to do this_ Dean told himself as he pressed down harder on the accelerator.

~DW/SW~

Sam felt his hands begin to shake even more and he bit his lip nervously as he walked up the small path to the front door. He rang the doorbell and waited a moment before a middle aged man answered. "Um hi…" He said feeling extremely intimidated as he realized that this man was probably Kate's dad and he prayed that the man wouldn't think too low of him. _I promise I won't turn her into a street whore _Sam silently told the man not knowing what the man knew about him.

"Hi, I'm David, Kate's dad… you here for the party?" Sam nodded minutely.

Sam let out a relieved breath when the man smiled at him and nodded. "I'm Sam…" He said shyly.

A flash of recognition came across the man's face causing a spark of fear to grow inside Sam's chest. _Please give me a chance_ he begged. Much to Sam's relief, the man's smile broadened and he hitched a thumb towards the back of the house before offering to shake Sam's hand. Slowly, Sam reached out to grab it though the handshake was very brief. "Come on, Kate's in the back." The man said looking him over with appraising eyes and causing Sam to feel small even though there was nothing vicious or threatening about the man's appearance.

Sam nodded his thanks and hurried his way through the house just wanting to see someone he knew. _I don't know about this _he thought worriedly. As soon as he'd stepped out onto the porch, Sam was reminded of the party he and Dean had gone to not long after they had met and he prayed that the night would have a better ending than that one had.

Sam shyly raised his gaze as he stood in the doorway, trying to find the courage to walk out onto the deck where everybody else was. There was a table set up underneath a covered awning with a boom box and some CD's playing some music that Sam couldn't recognize. There were also a couple of bowls filled with different kinds of chips and salsa. Two more bowls had trail mix and M&M's in them. There was also a platter of cheese and crackers and another with vegetables and ranch dip on the table too.

Beside the table were two open coolers, one containing soda and water and the other contained beer. _No, no, no_ Sam thought when he spotted the ice chest filled with alcoholic beverages. He was scared of what would happen if anybody did get intoxicated tonight and what that would mean for him. He hadn't had to 'perform' for anybody since his escape and he really didn't want to resume _that_ activity ever again, let alone right there at Kate's house. Sam slipped his hand into his pocket, feeling the heavy weight of his phone against his fingers and allowed that connection with Dean to calm him a small bit knowing that as soon as his brother saw his name on his caller ID, he would come.

"Sam!" He turned his head when he heard the shout of his name and he smiled a bit when he saw Kate and Bobby making their way towards him. _Finally, someone I know_ he thought as he walked to join them. _I still can't believe I'm here_ he thought, wondering what it was he had done to get this invitation.

"Hey…" He drifted off shyly. "I um… these are for you." He said handing Kate the gifts he had picked out the day before with Dean's help.

"Thanks Sam, they're really beautiful." Kate blushed as she took the flowers from him and brought them up to her face to smell them holding the card in the other. "I'll be right back." She said as she hurried into the kitchen to get a vase for them.

"Oh ah, yeah, alright…" Sam muttered softly to himself, hoping that Bobby wouldn't follow Kate inside. He glanced around the yard and took in the other party guests wondering how many of them knew who he was. He was grateful that even if there were faces that he was not all that familiar with the place wasn't packed. Sam could see a group of girls sitting not too far away, seeming to be watching him very closely. Not wanting to get himself any more worked up than he already was, he turned back to his friend hoping Bobby would be able to distract him. "How long have you been here?" Sam asked trying hard to not let his voice shake too much.

Bobby shook his head. "Not long." He replied. "Come on, man, let's go get something to drink." He said leading the way towards the ice cooler. Bobby knew he was going to have to keep a very close eye on Sam today or at least until he calmed down. He and James had talked a little bit about it briefly the night before as they both wanted Sam to have a good time at this party and both were determined to make that happen.

Kate returned a few minutes later, followed by a girl Sam recognized from school and a woman who he guessed was her mom. "Ah Sam, this is my friend Claire… and this is my mom Sheryl." Kate sounded a bit nervous herself.

Sam felt himself hesitate when he heard that Kate's mom's name was Sheryl but he quickly shook it off, not wanting to lose track of where he was and disappear down a road he would rather not relive with these technical strangers present.

The girl, Claire, gave Sam a smile that seemed friendly enough but he could see the questions in her eyes and he turned away from her. _Don't ask me to explain, please, not here… not… not in front of Kate_ he silently pleaded.

"Hi," He said shyly and not holding anyone's gaze for any length of time hoping that if he didn't look at them, they wouldn't really want to start a conversation with him.

"Hi Sam, it's very nice to meet you finally." Kate's mom smiled warmly as she stuck her hand out and Sam shook it nervously, hoping that it wasn't too sweaty.

"Thanks for letting me come." He said quietly to the woman. _So you have heard about me_ Sam thought trying not to let the amount of anxiousness he was feeling show on his face.

Kate's mom smiled and waved Sam off. "Oh, it's our pleasure. I'm glad you could make it."

Sam nodded, unsure if the woman was just saying that to be polite or if he really was welcome at their house. He hoped it was the latter.

~DW/SW~

Dean tried to not let his stomach get too twisted with nerves as he drove away from Kate's house. He knew that this was a good thing and that his brother would have a good time but he still felt incredibly nervous about leaving the kid. _Bobby and Kate are with him, he has his cell and he knows to call you if he needs to_ Dean tried to rationalize. He sighed knowing that unless he planned on driving back to Kate's house and either inviting himself to the party or making his brother leave, there was nothing he could do. "Please keep him safe." Dean pleaded softly as he glanced up at the sky, begging his parents to look out for Sam at the party since he couldn't.

A little while later, he pulled up outside Rachel's apartment and parked on the street. He walked up the stairs and knocked on her door. "Hey," He smiled as he walked inside hoping that he would be able to enjoy himself tonight.

"Hey," Rachel smiled back, giving Dean a hug. "Can I get you something to drink?" She asked.

"A beer would be good." He smirked a bit thinking about how long it had been since he'd had one. Knowing it was one of Sam's largest triggers; he never bought it anymore or allowed any guest they had to bring it with them when they came over. Any buzz he could have wasn't worth scaring the shit out of Sam for but with the kid away for the next couple of hours, he figured that one beer wouldn't hurt. And besides with how he was feeling right now, he thought a beer might be the only thing that would keep him calm enough to get through the night.

"One beer coming right up." Rachel walked to the fridge and took out two beers setting both on the counter while she looked for the bottle opener. "Here," She handed Dean his and then the two of them walked out to the living room where they took a seat on the couch. "So, how are you?" It had been a little while since the last time she had actually seen Dean face to face.

Dean sighed and shook his head. "Nervous." He replied after he took a swig of his beer.

"About Sam going to the party?" Rachel guessed. Dean had called her the previous evening saying he was free the next day because the kid had a birthday to go to and he had wanted to know if she'd still like to go on a second date with him. It was strange to think that this was only their second date.

Dean nodded. "I just… he doesn't do well around people he doesn't know, you know that?" Dean started.

Rachel nodded knowing how shy the teen could be. "But you said his friends were going too."

"They are but I just… he was so nervous Rach and I don't want anything to happen…" Dean sighed as his worry for his brother was obvious.

"Dean," Rachel started placing her beer on the coffee table and scooting closer to him. "He's a good kid and his friends seem like nice people, I'm sure he'll be fine. Besides, I bet he already has everybody there wrapped around his finger, they'll love him." She smiled reassuringly. "And you know this is good for him."

"I know that." Dean interrupted. "I just… it's so hard to let him go."

"Even if it's helping him?" She asked with one eyebrow raised.

Dean glanced up at her but didn't say anything.

"Dean, I know it's hard to be away from him and that you just want to keep him wrapped up in safe cocoon where no one and nothing can ever get to him again but you know that's not what he needs. You told me yourself that he needs to go out and experience things like how a normal teenager should, part of that is having to go places without his big brother…" Rachel drifted off. "I know you worry about him, I do too but you have to let him go sometimes. I mean, how is he going to learn to trust himself or his ability to decide things if he's never given those kinds of chances?"

Dean sighed before he nodded. "I know… I know you're right…" He drifted off.

"He'll be fine." Rachel reassured hoping that she was right. After everything the kid had been through, he more than deserved to finally get to be a teen. "Now, I hope you forgot your wallet because tonight is all on me."

That got a small smile out of Dean. "If you insist." He conceded. "So, since you're paying… where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." Rachel smirked and then grabbed Dean's hand, pulling him off the couch.

~DW/SW~

Sam sat quietly off to the side, listening to the group talk more than he did actually participating in the discussion. He wasn't sure his opinion would be appreciated by the newcomers in the group and he didn't want to risk looking like a fool in front of Kate.

"Excuse us, I have to borrow her for a little while." One of the girls, Claire, interrupted as she stood and grabbed Kate's hand pulling her behind her.

Sam nodded, looking surprised that Kate looked apologetic at having to leave him. _It's her house, her party… why should I care if she doesn't want to talk to me?_ He wondered even as he watched the two of them walk to a far corner of the yard. He couldn't make out what they were saying but they both looked pretty serious about whatever it was they were discussing.

His attention was drawn away from the pair when Bobby began to talk to him. "Dude, you gotta try the dip… Kate's mom is like a frickin' god of cooking, I swear." He urged.

Sam quirked a brow at his friend's behavior.

"Seriously, best dip I've ever had." He said before he stuffed some more of it into his mouth.

Sam nodded before he hesitantly stood and walked the few feet to the table. He grabbed a napkin and a couple of chips before lightly dipping one into the white and green sauce, hoping he wasn't taking too much. He didn't want anyone here to think he was greedy or taking more than his fair share. _Hunh, that is pretty good_ he thought, smiling a little and dipping a second chip.

"See, told you it was the best." Bobby said as he came and stood beside Sam at the table startling Sam a little.

Sam turned to face his friend, trying to make himself look as if he hadn't just been spooked. "Ah, yeah, you were right… it is pretty good." He agreed.

Sam and Bobby were standing around the table, trying the different foods that were set out on it when Kate came back up to them. "Sorry," She apologized as she glanced back at her friend. Her friend had been surprised that Sam had been invited and wanted to know what her usually pretty protective parents thought about him. Kate had told Claire that Sam was invited because he was a good friend and that she wanted him there. As for her parents, they thought he seemed like a nice kid and that was all that mattered.

Bobby swallowed down the handful of M&M's he'd just grabbed before he spoke. "Everything okay?" He asked casting her a curious look before he discreetly nodded his head in Sam's direction.

Kate nodded. "Yeah, my friend just wanted to talk to me for a few minutes."

"You um… you don't have to entertain us, ya know… if you wanna talk to her, you can." Sam said surprising Kate and Bobby with his statement.

"I wanna talk to you too." Kate replied, smiling shyly. "I like talking to you."

Sam looked around, hoping Kate's dad wasn't around… he didn't think the man would be all that pleased if he found out Kate liked him. He still blushed and nodded though, unable to really speak past the surprise he felt at hearing Kate say once again something that she liked about him.

~DW/SW~

An hour had passed and James had showed up almost half an hour ago and now the small group sat joined by some of Kate's other friends under a large tree in her backyard, talking and laughing while they ate the barbeque Kate's dad had made. Sam still hadn't said all that much but he was beginning to relax a bit and allowing himself to laugh along with the group.

"Those flowers are really pretty." Kate said softly as she came and sat beside Sam, sitting a bit closer to him than she normally did.

The close proximity between the two caused Sam to stumble over his words a bit. "Oh… ah, yeah, yeah… I'm ah… I'm glad you like 'em. Dean helped me pick 'em out…" He drifted off, hoping that he wasn't saying anything stupid.

"You guys have good taste." She smiled.

Sam blushed. "Thanks." He replied just as Kate's mom and dad walked over to the group making Sam feel like maybe he should scoot a little farther away from Kate. He was stopped when Kate reached out and lightly covered his hand with hers.

"It's okay." She reassured hoping that Sam wouldn't pull away from her.

Sam nodded, trying not to feel too overwhelmed right now and fighting the urge to grab his hand back.

"You guys ready for cake?" Kate's mom asked, smiling at her daughter.

Kate nodded making everyone else around her nod in agreement.

"Okay, we'll be right back." And then her mom and dad disappeared back inside the house. They returned a few minutes later, her dad carrying a large glass dish towards the group. He knelt down and held it out in front of Kate. "Happy Birthday Katie-girl." He smiled sweetly before everyone started to sing.

Kate blushed and smiled shyly while everyone sang and then leaned forward to blow out her candles. Claire and a few of Kate's other friends offered to help take orders and a few minutes later, everyone was satisfied, especially Bobby. "Kate, your mom is a God… let's just get that out of the way right now." He groaned. "From now on, whenever she cooks it's your job to call me and help you guys get rid of."

Kate laughed at him but silently agreed. She remembered once when her mom had had a friend of hers buy the birthday cake… it had been the most disgusting thing she had ever had and ever since then, the birthday cakes only came from her mother. It was an unspoken rule.

Sam got up to throw his plate away and when he came back, he found that all of the presents had been brought over. _Oh god, please let her like it_ he thought nervously as he retook his seat. _She loves the flowers, why wouldn't she like the other part_ he asked himself. He watched, smiling affectionately as Kate squealed happily with each present she opened.

"Thank you so much Taylor!" She said excitedly as she held up the poster of her favorite singer, admiring it for a moment.

"No problem," Her friend replied. "But now you know what you have to get me." She winked.

Kate laughed and shook her head. "Yeah, yeah, don't worry about it." She smiled before she took the next present her mom handed her. She glanced up when she heard Sam cough.

"Ah… this one's from me… I hope you like it." He said shyly wondering how it would compare with the poster.

Kate smiled at him and proceeded to open the envelope, wondering what was inside. There was a card which she opened first and not wanting to embarrass Sam if he'd written anything personal, she read it silently to herself.

_Kate,_

_Thanks for inviting me to your party but even more thanks for always being a good friend. You made the year a lot more survivable. I hope you have fun today, you certainly deserve it._

_Sam_

Kate looked back up at Sam and smiled again, causing Sam to blush. She shook out the rest of the envelopes contents seeing that there were two free movie passes inside. _Aw, Sam_ she internally cooed hoping that she would be able to get him to use the second pass.

"You said you liked to see new things so I figured that maybe there might be a movie coming out that you'd like to see soon." Sam rambled, his cheeks heating up more the longer he talked.

Kate nodded. "I love to go to the movies so thanks Sam, I love 'em." She said sincerely.

Sam smiled back, trying not to appear too overeager but at the same time very relieved that his gift hadn't fallen flat.

~DW/SW~

There was only about an hour left until Dean was scheduled to come pick him up. Some of the other partygoers had started to head home and Sam was a bit grateful for that. He had had a lot more fun at the party than he had originally thought he would but still, it was nice to be back to a smaller group.

"You guys wanna take a walk?" Kate asked after the conversation had lulled a little bit as they sat on the patio.

"Sure," James and Bobby said standing up and stretching.

Sam nodded and stretched but he didn't say anything as he wondered where on their walk they were going to go.

"I'll be right back." Kate smiled before she headed inside. She returned a few minutes later and then led the group through the backyard to the woods behind her house.

"Where are we going?" Bobby asked after a couple of minutes.

"There's a creek up ahead… I don't know but I think it's pretty and cool to go to." She explained. "Thanks for coming guys, I had fun today."

"Yeah no problem, it was fun." James replied.

"Um yeah… yeah, it was." Sam said shyly.

Kate glanced up at him and smiled. "Good, I'm glad you had a good time." As they made their way down the path, Kate slowly moved to closer to him until their hands were brushing. Gently, she reached out to lightly grip Sam's slightly shaking fingers in hers. "Is this okay?" She asked quietly knowing that James and Bobby were not that far up ahead of them and the last thing she wanted to do was embarrass Sam.

Sam hesitated for a moment before he nodded and gently returned her grip.

Kate smiled, glad Sam had given her permission, and the two continued to walk through the wooded area in peaceful silence.

_Wow_ Sam thought as he felt the solid weight of Kate's hand resting in his. He wasn't quite sure what to think about it and he hoped that he wouldn't ruin it by squeezing her hand too tightly if he got nervous or something. _She might actually like me_ he thought as he remembered how much she had liked the flowers and the movie tickets he had gotten her to the friendly conversations that they had all day to the fact that she had initiated wanting to hold his hand. He didn't know where the rest of the day was going to go but one thing he was currently aware of was that he really didn't mind this and actually found it to be quite reassuring. Knowing he was starting to think too much, Sam shut his mind off and just took in the peaceful scenery around him.

A little while later, the four of them arrived at the creek. Sam found that while he probably wouldn't call it pretty, it was an interesting little place. There were rock beds on either side of the crystal clear water and Bobby and he rolled up their jeans as they walked across it. He and Kate climbed their way to some piled up rocks and sat on them, their feet dangling over the edge. A mama duck swam out into the water followed by her ducklings causing small ripples across the water.

"They're so cute and little, I love to watch them." Kate said as she pointed the ducks out to Sam.

Sam smiled a little. "Yeah, I guess they are pretty cute hunh?"

"Hey ah, we're gonna go walk that way." James said pointing downstream standing a few feet away from the rocks on a dirt path that wound around the entirety of the bank.

"Sure." Kate replied watching as James and Bobby took off. She thought that maybe somehow the two of them knew that it might be a good idea to let Sam and her be alone for a few minutes.

"It is cool here." Sam said trying not to freak out at the fact that now he was actually alone with Kate. _What am I expected to do_ he wondered before he remembered Dean telling him to have fun but not to be afraid to speak up if something didn't feel right. He glanced over at the girl sitting beside him and took a deep breath since nothing bad had happened yet today, he was hoping it would stay like that.

"It is, isn't it?" Kate agreed.

"It reminds me of where Dean and I went camping only there's no deer here." He added as his gaze drifted from the ducks to look around.

Kate laughed. "There's plenty of deer here… they just get spooked easily."

Sam nodded knowing what that felt like. "Thanks again for inviting me today… I'm um… I'm glad I came."

Kate smiled and scooted a little closer to Sam. "I'm glad you could come." She glanced up at him, her smile broadening when he looked back at her.

"Me too…" Sam said quietly, his heartbeat picking up when he realized just how close they were to each other.

Kate blushed as they continued to look at each other, neither completely sure what was going to happen next. Then, Kate leaned up and gave Sam a soft peck on the cheek.

Sam felt his breath hitch and his eyes widened when he felt the soft touch of Kate's lips against his cheek. It was so gentle and so completely opposite of what he was used to that it shocked him. There wasn't any roughness to it or any cruel intentions that were laughing as he struggled to get away but instead, just the solid and warm presence next to him… the same presence who had asked him if it was okay to hold his hand instead of just doing it. Sam swallowed thickly before he turned his head a little.

"What was that for?" He asked quietly and still a bit shocked that Kate had done that… had kissed him. He couldn't believe that she would want to, that she could know about the things he'd done and want to be that close to him.

Kate shrugged self-consciously. "Because I like you." She smiled before she got a worried look on her face. "Is that… I mean, that was okay right? You don't mind?"

Sam shook his head because yeah, the thought of being intimate with someone was scary but that peck had been so gentle that he honestly hadn't minded it. "No, it… it was fine." _I liked it _He thought to himself feeling surprised that he had liked it. After having been forced to be with multiple partners just so Frank could make a little cash, he hadn't ever thought he'd really enjoy any form of intimate contact ever again but with Kate, it had been different. _She's different _he thought as he studied her for a moment and took in her warm smile and caring eyes. Taking both himself and Kate by surprise, Sam leaned forward closer to Kate but not closing the gap between them entirely.

Kate was a bit surprised when Sam leaned forward to re-initiate the kiss but she leaned forward too and closed the gap between them. Originally, Sam had had the urge to pull back when he felt Kate kiss him again, this time on the lips but instead, he stayed where he was and finally let himself enjoy being with someone. The kiss was quick and nothing heavy, just sweet and gentle but even still Sam felt a bit lightheaded when he pulled back, his cheeks tinged red. He wasn't sure what to say now that he had actually kissed her and he hoped that he hadn't taken it too far. _I guess not_ he thought feeling relieved when Kate smiled up at him, her cheeks tinged red too as she laid her head on his shoulder suddenly grateful beyond words that Dean had convinced him to go to the party.

* * *

Hey! So, how was that, especially the end? Did it work? I can't wait to hear from you guys but either way, I hope you enjoyed it! I'll try to update soon. :)


	30. Chapter 30

Hey guys! I'm so sorry that this chapter has taken me forever to write but I do have a valid reason this time and for once, it isn't because of writer's block! :) But seriously, these past few weeks have been insane! One of my little sister's ran away, a cousin is being deployed to Afghanistan, another cousin is dying, my parents were the victims of identity theft, and an aunt and cousin had their cars set on fire so as you can see I had like literally no time to write. I actually wrote the majority of this chapter today so I hope it's satisfactory ;)

So, this is the last chapter (I can say that with confidence now) but there will be an epilogue and then we're onto the next story. **THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE!!!!** Whether you read this story and reviewed it or just read it silently, THANKS! All of you are very super appreciated and I hope that you will enjoy this chapter and that I will see you for the 3rd story in this series, 'Family Matters'.

Thanks again and I can't wait to hear from all of you! :)

* * *

Dean pulled back from Rachel with a smile on his lips as he fumbled around for his cell hearing the alarm he'd set beep. When he flipped it open, he saw that it was a quarter to five. "I should go." He said quietly and somewhat reluctantly; it had been a long time since he'd had company like hers and not just in the physical sense either. Sure, he had friends who were girls who treated Sam right and were fun to be around but Rachel was the first in a while that he'd felt an actual connection to. She was funny and could get him to calm down when he was stressed or upset but could also recognize the moments where he didn't want to make a joke and just needed to vent. The fact that she always made a point to ask how Sam was doing and never once ignored him only made Dean think that much better of her and once more, she was the kind of girl he could have seen introducing to his mama. Granted his mom wasn't around anymore but he liked to think that she was still keeping an eye on him from wherever she was. "Gotta go pick up the kid." He explained unnecessarily as he stood and rearranged his clothes before running a hand through his mused hair.

Rachel nodded, knowing Dean was right but she was happy that the two of them had been able to spend the afternoon together. "I hope he had a good time." She smiled sincerely as she sat up and pushed a stray lock of brown hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, I do too." Dean replied as he wondered a bit about what condition his brother would be in when he got to Kate's house. _He never called_ Dean reminded himself as he tried to use that knowledge to help settle his fears a bit feeling a nervous sensation start to fill him. _He would have called if something had gone wrong._ Dean wasn't quite sure how he would be able to get Sam to be okay if this party had been anything other than a good time… the kid had taken way too many hits lately to be knocked down again.

"Tell him I said 'hi'?" Rachel asked as both she and Dean and began to walk towards the front door of her small apartment.

Dean nodded. "I will." He then leaned in for another kiss. "I had a really, really good time with you." It was true, the 'surprise' that Rachel had had for him was to take him to his favorite restaurant, the fish and burger house located on the lake just outside of Lawrence. He had been surprised that she had remembered him mentioning that place and he had thought that it was sweet of her to take him there now, especially since it wasn't all that cheap.

Rachel smiled back at Dean, glad that they were finally starting to actually be able to see each other more often since both he and Sam were on the mend now. She had been so scared for the two of them that afternoon at the diner and had prayed that the help she had called would get there quickly and before her friends had to suffer anymore. In her opinion, they hadn't gotten there fast enough and she remembered how terrible it had been to hear Sam's pleas and Dean's angry, yet fearful voice. Then the wait at the hospital as both Sam and Dean underwent surgery to repair the physical damage done by the two monsters had been torture for not only her but for Mike and Sean as well. The three of them had sat in strained silence, no one knowing what to say to comfort or reassure the other two that Sam and Dean would overcome this as well. Sam's surgery had lasted longer and all of them had been worried what they would tell Dean when he woke, luckily, both of them had pulled through though sometimes she could still see the guilt on Dean's face or the worry and shame on Sam's and it made her heart ache for them. _They're getting better_ Rachel silently told herself, letting a small smile fall back onto her face. "Yeah, I did too." She finally agreed.

Dean nodded and gave her a kiss goodbye before he smiled softly. "I'll call you later." He promised before he headed out the door and back to his car.

~DW/SW~

Dean pulled up outside of Kate's house and debated about whether or not he should walk up to the door to collect the kid or if he should just call him and tell him to come out. Not wanting to embarrass his brother, Dean tugged his phone out of his pocket and dialed Sam's cell number. "Hey," He said when Sam picked up after the second ring. "I'm here so whenever you're ready, come out okay?" Dean hung up after Sam told him he'd be there in a minute. _He sounds like he's doing okay_ Dean thought to himself, trying to be on the lookout for any warning signs that this hadn't gone the way he had hoped it would.

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed the front door to Kate's house opening and he saw Sam heading down the front path towards the Impala. He watched as Sam climbed in and then turned to wave goodbye to Kate who was standing in the doorway of her house, watching them. "So, how was it?" He asked as he pulled away from the curb and headed down the street.

"It was fine." Sam replied simply as he continued to stare out the window, occasionally biting his lower lip.

Dean turned his head to watch his brother and noticed that Sam was fidgeting nervously with the hem of his t-shirt. He thought that the appearance of that behavior was a little odd if Sam had really had a good time at the party. "Yeah, she like her presents?" He asked, trying to figure out what had happened without cornering Sam into telling him exactly what had happened.

Sam nodded. "Thanks for helping me pick them out." He said, looking slightly sheepishly over at his brother knowing that he had sort of overreacted and acted like a brat to him.

"You were panicked, don't worry." Dean said, easily forgiving Sam especially since he knew that the kid was nowhere near being a brat under most circumstances. His brother was one of the least selfish people he knew but unfortunately Dean realized that at least a part of that was due to the neglect that Sam had been victim to. "James and Bobby were there, right?" _Please tell me you weren't alone_ he pleaded knowing that that would have scared the crap out of his kid brother.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, Bobby was there when I got there and James showed up maybe an hour or so later."

Dean nodded and the two drove in silence for a while. _It sounds like it went well_ Dean thought as he sighed a little and adjusted the volume on the radio.

"How was your date?" Sam asked after a few more minutes had passed.

Dean smiled now. "Good, we ah… you remember that one restaurant that's in the middle of the lake?" He asked. He'd taken Sam there after the kid had earned his learner's permit as a way to celebrate another small step in Sam's journey to independence.

Sam nodded, smiling a bit as he remembered all of the delicious food Dean had ordered for them. "Yeah, you went there?" He questioned.

Dean nodded. "Sorry I didn't bring you back any fish fries." He said apologetically knowing that those were his brother's favorite things off the menu.

Sam shook his head. "Don't worry, I'm stuffed." He smiled as he patted his stomach a little.

That surprised Dean a bit as he knew that Sam's eating habits normally changed when he was around new people and the fact was that the kid tended to take less than what he would have normally eaten when he was around strangers. He glanced over and noticed that Sam hadn't stopped lightly touching his bottom lip with his fingers, playing with it. Curious, he continued to discreetly observe the kid as he continued to drive home noticing that a dimpled smile was beginning to appear on his brother's face. "What are you smiling about?" He teased affectionately.

"I just had a really good time at the party." Sam replied debating if he should tell Dean about the kiss or not. He didn't know if only he would consider it to be 'special' and Dean would think it was no big deal that they had kissed or what? He was sure after all that his brother had had lots of kisses.

"You're thinking too loud." Dean commented a moment later. He had seen the silent debate play out across his brother's face and was wondering what was going on inside his brother's crazy head, especially if Sam had been telling him the truth that he'd had fun today.

Sam turned to Dean for a minute before he faced back out the window. "I ah… she, we… we ah… we kissed." He stumbled over his words, a deep red blush covering his cheeks now.

Dean's eyes widened and he grinned excitedly. "That's my boy!" He took one hand off of the wheel and pumped his fist in the air, making Sam laugh. _Finally, you get something you deserve_ Dean silently added and glad that it had been with Kate, a girl who he knew genuinely liked his brother.

Sam blushed some more but laughed again as Dean reached over to clap him on the shoulder.

"So, who made the first move?" He asked as he made a u-turn and headed towards the mall prepared to buy his brother whatever he wanted.

"Ah…" Sam started to answer before he quirked his eyebrows in confusion when he saw that they had turned away from home. "Where are we going?" He asked.

"Dude, my kid brother just got his first kiss… I'd say that this calls for a celebration, don't you?" Dean asked before he saw the downcast look on his brother's face. _Now what? _He silently grumbled to himself wordlessly berating himself because of course, anything good that happened to the kid couldn't just be accepted but no, it had to have some bad memory attached to it. "Wanna tell me what's going on in there?" He asked after a couple of minutes had passed without Sam saying anything.

Sam sighed and turned back to face out the window, watching the people and buildings they passed. "It's… it's not my first kiss Dean. I mean, it's the first one that I actually wanted and enjoyed but it's not my first." Sam argued thinking back to all the times when either Frank or some random John had gripped his jaw and forced his tongue inside.

Dean sighed and pulled into the nearest parking spot, killing the engine when he saw a slight shiver pass through his brother. Given the conversation and Sam's last comment, he had a pretty good idea of what had caused his brother to begin to tremble slightly. "Sammy," He started before Sam interrupted him.

"It was so different…" Sam started, his tone explaining that he found it somewhat unbelievable and Dean wasn't completely positive that Sam was even aware he'd said anything.

"Exactly, Sam, none of that stuff, none of it counts because you didn't get a say in any of it. You never got to say 'hey, I want this'," Dean looked over when he heard Sam growl. "I'm not saying you wanted it Sam, I know you didn't okay kiddo I know that but that's why it doesn't count, throw all of that stuff away alright? You're starting new with people who you actually want to be with and do things with so in my book, you just got your first kiss today." The look in Dean's eyes proved that he was steadfast in his opinion.

Sam looked over at his brother, a watery smile on his face and his eyes slightly glazed with unshed tears. _I can't believe she wanted to kiss me_ Sam thought to himself. "You really think I can start new?" He asked sounding hesitant but hopeful.

Dean nodded encouragingly. "You just proved it." _Take that you bastards!_ He silently shouted hoping that this was just the start of his brother learning that it was alright to be with someone and that it didn't have to evoke feelings of fear and shame but instead a sense of friendship and acceptance.

~DW/SW~

Sam was sitting at one of the round outside tables in the school's courtyard with Kate, Bobby, and James enjoying the short, fifteen minute break they got after second period. Despite having fun at Kate's party and growing closer to her, he had been a good bit nervous this morning when Dean had dropped him off fearing that somehow in the span of just a few hours, she might have changed her mind. He had been proved wrong though when she had greeted him with a sweet, shy smile before taking his hand as the four of them walked down the hall. The bell had just rung, signaling the start of third period when Sam heard a cough behind him. He stood, noticing the tense looks on his friends' faces and he turned around to see Andy standing in front of him, looking rather nervous.

"What do you want?" James practically growled out as he stepped up beside Sam, glaring protectively at their former friend.

Andy looked up and locked eyes with James. "Can I have a second chance?" He asked sounding hesitant.

James and Bobby remained tense as they essentially stared him down. Both of them had angry sneers on their faces, briefly reminding Sam of Dean when he got protective.

_What does he want a second chance for?_ Sam asked himself. _Should I give it to him?_ He wondered. "I… I have to get to class." Sam mumbled, shaking his head confused at the thought of someone wanting to apologize to him as normally he was the one doing the apologizing. He took Kate's hand and led the way towards his art class, glad that it was on her way and leaving James and Bobby having to run to catch up with them.

"You okay?" Kate asked as she paused outside her math class. She hadn't been at the park when Andy had betrayed Sam's trust and friendship and thrown it back in his face and she wasn't sure what was going through Sam's mind right now. To her, she considered Andy dead and really didn't want to give him the chance to hurt Sam again but deep down, she knew that it was Sam's choice on whether or not to forgive the jerk.

Sam nodded though he wasn't completely sure that was the truth. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He said, smiling a little after a moment had passed. "I'll see you soon."

Kate nodded, smiling back at him before she headed into her class glad that their kiss yesterday hadn't made Sam shy away from her.

~DW/SW~

Throughout the rest of the day, Sam had noticed Andy giving him looks but instead of being mean and hateful, the guy looked downright miserable. _What do I do?_ Sam wondered as he followed James out to his jeep so his friend could give him a ride to the shop.

"You're not forgiving him, right man?" James asked after he'd started the car and pulled out of the school parking lot casting a quick look in Sam's direction.

Sam shrugged and looked away. He was still hurt that Andy had turned on him so suddenly and yeah, he was a good bit pissed that he had been judged for something that he really had no control over but still… they had been friends at one point. Did that matter or was it okay for him to be mad about Andy's behavior?

James sighed when Sam didn't answer him. "Sam, dude, that guy is fucking jackass, don't pay any attention to him." He instructed.

"But I feel bad… I mean, I know what he said was horrible and stuff but still…" Sam drifted off watching as a young man and his two kids entered the shop. "He was your friend…"

"A friend my ass, Andy can go rot in a hole for all I care." James muttered knowing that it wasn't very likely that he was going to be able to get through to his friend right now. He only hoped that Sam would bring it up to Dean and that the older brother would tell Sam to tell Andy to get lost. He was pissed as hell that someone he'd known since kindergarten and had called his friend was able to just switch sides so quickly. And if he was honest, he was a bit mad at himself that he hadn't seen Andy's shift in attitude coming until it was too late.

"Thanks for the ride." Sam said a moment later as he opened the passenger side door and climbed out.

James shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I'll see you tomorrow."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, see ya." He muttered feeling confused and conflicted as he headed up the steps. He chose to walk around to the back of the shop though as he really hated it when customers spotted him. He always felt as if the atmosphere of his brother's shop was changed when he was around and the last thing he had wanted was for Dean to lose business over him. He didn't actually think his brother would but he would rather just not have to deal with them, especially since the majority of customers were strangers to him.

"Hey Sean," Sam smiled a little as he passed Sean who was leaning over the hood of an old beat-up pick-up truck.

"Hey Sam, what's up?" Sean asked straightening up for a moment before he turned around to grab a different sized wrench.

"Nothing…" Sam answered softly causing Sean to look at him hesitantly.

"There's leftovers from El Pollo Loco if you're hungry." He said gesturing in the direction of Dean's office and the mini-fridge they kept in there.

Sam nodded. "Thanks." He hitched his backpack up higher on his shoulders and began walking towards the office. He was in the middle of eating a bean and cheese burrito when Dean walked into the small room, taking a can of coke out.

"Hey, you're here early." Dean noticed. Lately, Sam had been hanging out with his friends for a good hour or so after school let out for the day just so he wasn't stuck at the shop so much.

Sam shrugged as he took another bite of his burrito.

"You okay?" Dean asked, starting to feel a little bit concerned and not liking Sam's lack of enthusiasm at seeing him.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, just been a long day is all." He answered.

"You wanna talk about it?" Dean asked taking a seat in the spare desk chair, hoping to give his brother the impression that he had time.

"Nah, it's okay but thanks." Sam gave his brother a small smile before he pulled out his history binder and began to do some homework, setting his half eaten burrito aside.

"You sure?" Dean asked hoping that Sam would sound more convincing this time around.

Sam nodded again. "Yeah, I'm fine."

_No, you're not_ Dean silently argued. He knew the kid like the back of his hand and could tell that something was definitely off with Sam today. "You know where to find us if you need anything." Dean said watching as Sam nodded before he headed back out into the work area.

~DW/SW~

"Sam, pizza's here!" Dean yelled later that night as he shut the door behind the delivery guy. He carried the large half cheese and half meat lover's pizza into the kitchen setting it down on the counter. "Sam?" He called again, feeling surprised when he didn't hear any footsteps coming down the hall. Sighing, Dean closed the refrigerator and walked towards Sam's room, stopping to knock on the partially closed door. "Pizza's here dude," Dean said as he stood in the doorway watching as Sam absentmindedly played with Ace's fur.

Sam nodded but didn't move to get up from his spot on the bed.

_Bullshit you're fine_ Dean thought before he walked over and took a seat beside Sam, making Ace have to move a little. "What's going on?" He asked, determined to get to the bottom of things.

Sam shrugged.

"Sammy, what is it?" Dean asked with concern in his voice as he nudged his brother a little. "Something happen at school today?"

"I um… I don't really know what to do…" Sam drifted off leaving Dean still confused about what was going on.

_Yeah, that really helps to clear things up_ Dean thought sarcastically but he stayed quiet, hoping that Sam would elaborate on his own.

"Kate… um… am I going out with her now?" He asked looking up at Dean, confusion written all across his face.

Dean silently laughed a little. How he loved this being his biggest issue to deal with right now; helping his little brother figure out the ever mysterious world of girls. He would definitely take this problem over any of the other ones that they had had to deal with. "Well, do you want to?" Dean asked even though he was pretty certain the answer was yes even with all of his brother's massive insecurities.

Sam shrugged. "Maybe but… but I don't know how to be a boyfriend and what if I screw it up and she dumps me?" He asked fearfully.

Dean wrapped an arm around Sam's shoulders making the kid scoot closer to him and he rested his chin on top of Sam's curls. "Sammy," He sighed now feeling torn on what to do. On one hand, he did want Sam to be able to go out with girls and have confidence that they would like him back but on the other hand, he knew that logically not every relationship Sam had would work out and Dean desperately wanted to keep his brother from getting hurt.

"And… and then Andy came up to me today." Sam continued causing Dean to stiffen. In Dean's opinion, Andy was a spineless dick who didn't deserve to be around Sam.

"What did he want?" Dean asked working hard to keep the anger out of his voice, not wanting Sam to think it was directed at him at all.

"He asked me if he could have a second chance." Sam explained softly, he had the feeling that Dean wouldn't like that.

"Fuck that prick." Dean scoffed as he shook his head a little before he sighed. "Andy… he… I wouldn't trust him Sam but it's up to you on whether you forgive him or not."

Sam nodded. "I know. James doesn't want me to and I can see where you guys are coming from, I can but it's just we were friends at one point…" Sam sighed, still confused. "And yeah what he did hurt me and am I mad at him but still… maybe he's changed."

Dean sighed again. "I just don't want you to get hurt Sam, that's all." That was all Dean ever wanted now was for his brother to stay safe, happy, and healthy. He figured if he could get those three things to happen then the rest would fall into place.

"I know." Sam repeated thoughtfully. "Guess we'll find out tomorrow."

Dean nodded and stood, offering his brother a small smile. "C'mon, let's go eat."

~DW/SW~

Sam had butterflies in his stomach throughout the day at the school as he tried to figure out to ask Kate if the kiss meant anything or were they still just friends. "Hey Sam!" She smiled excitedly as she took a seat beside him at their lunch table.

"Um hey," He replied somewhat quietly. "Do you wanna go for a walk?" He asked looking at Kate with shy eyes.

Kate smiled again and nodded. "Sure."

They both stood and Sam felt like his heart was about to beat out of his chest with how nervous he was. He felt slightly calmed when Kate took his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. Ever since her party, she had taken to holding Sam's hand while they walked through the halls and he hoped that it meant what he thought it did. They had walked past the locker coves and the gym and were now standing in front of the library. Sam walked to an empty table and sat down, Kate following him. "Kate?" Sam started, licking his lips nervously.

"Yeah Sam?" Kate replied, observing that Sam seemed really nervous. _He's so cute when he doesn't know what to say_ Kate thought to herself.

"You… you like me right?" He asked, hoping Kate would say yes.

Kate instantly nodded. "Of course I do." She answered confidently before she began to look nervous herself. "Do you like me?"

Sam gave her a small, shy smile and nodded. "You can say no and I'll understand but um…" He drifted off. This was the moment of truth and he wasn't sure he could do it.

"Say no to what?" Kate asked, feeling confused as she watched Sam hesitate.

"Being my girlfriend?" He asked, wincing unconsciously as he waited for the verbal and emotional blow that was coming his way. _What was I thinking… well, I guess I know not to be surprised if she says no_ he tried to tell himself afraid that the knowledge of his past and his scars would make them being official not worth it.

Kate blushed and her eyes widened. "You… you want me to be your girlfriend?" She asked surprised because yeah, Sam had gone along with the kiss but that hadn't set it in stone.

Sam nodded. "It's okay if you don't want to but I just kind of thought that…" Sam's rambling was cut off when Kate leaned over to hug him.

"I definitely want to be your girlfriend, Sam." She smiled as she pulled back and then quickly gave Sam a soft peck on the cheek, much like at her party.

Sam smiled softly feeling the butterflies in his stomach start to dissipate some as he gently hugged Kate closer to him. _I have a girlfriend!_ He thought feeling a mix of excitement and disbelief. He couldn't believe it... that with all his nerves and anxiety that it had played out, for once, exactly the way he had wanted it to. _I wonder what Dean's gonna say_ he thought continuing to smile a little.

~DW/SW~

"Bye!" Sam shouted as he turned to watch James drive away. He had only taken a couple of steps towards the front of the shop when he heard someone calling his name. Slowly and somewhat hesitantly, he turned back around to see Andy standing at the bottom of the steps. Unsure of what to say or do, Sam glanced back at the shop's front door before returning his attention to his former friend.

"Um… hey Sam," Andy said looking very hesitant.

"Um, hi…" Sam drifted off feeling very insecure and shy right now.

"Can we talk?" Andy asked after another moment had passed.

Sam bit his lip nervously as he thought about it. _Dean's right in there_ Sam told himself. Sighing, he nodded and took a seat on one of the steps waiting for Andy to come join him.

They sat in strained silence for a bit before Sam broke it. "So what did you want to talk about?" He asked even though he had a very good idea of why his former friend was there.

"I… I wanted to say that I was sorry." Andy started. "I know you probably don't believe me but I am… I acted like a freakin' jackass at the park."

_You don't need to tell me that_ Sam silently thought, surprising himself a little. It wasn't like him to hold grudges. "Why did you?" Sam asked wanting to know just why his friend had been so willing to turn on him.

Andy shrugged. "I thought it would make me look cool… I was jealous…" He sighed and hung his head.

"Why would you be jealous of me?" Sam asked feeling utterly confused, not knowing what awesome traits he had that someone else would want.

"I just… it's always been James, Bobby, and me… and… and I guess I was mad at you that all of a sudden you come in there and mess everything up." Andy explained.

_I didn't know I was_ Sam thought beginning to feel a little guilty before he thought back to what James had said to him the day before. James didn't want to be Andy's friend anymore because of how he had treated Sam and neither did Bobby. _Why should I forgive him?_ Sam wondered suddenly standing up. "Um… I appreciate you coming down here Andy and trying to make things work but I just… I don't know if we can be friends. I mean, you turned on me once, who is to say that you won't do it again?" He asked seeing the somewhat shocked look on the other teen's face and Sam was tempted to apologize. A couple of tense moments passed before Andy nodded, stood, and walked away.

_I just stood up for myself_ Sam thought, his eyes widening in shock as he realized that he didn't actually feel guilty about saying no to Andy. Sam turned around and glanced at the shop's front doors and back to the steps he was currently standing on. As he took in his surroundings, Sam realized that he didn't just feel much stronger now but that he was stronger than the first time he'd ever entered the place, completely unaware that the small town mechanic shop would change his life forever. He'd barely been conscious the first time he'd climbed the concrete steps and he'd had to hold onto the railing to keep from collapsing. The pain that had radiated throughout his body had been enough to make him fight to breathe and the counter inside had acted as a solid support that he could lean on. Sam never would have guessed that the man behind the counter would prove to be a just as solid support.

Suddenly, Sam felt an arm brush his and he looked up to see Dean standing beside him. Dean nodded at him encouragingly and placed an arm around Sam's shoulders in a brotherly gesture. After a moment, Sam returned the half-hug and smiled up at his big brother realizing that just as he needed Dean to lean on, he was needed for support too.

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Hey! So, I hope the end was to your liking? Really, thanks again for reading and reviewing or just reading, both are appreciated! I'll try to get the epilogue up soon that way we can move onto the next story which hopefully you all will be willing to read as well. Thanks again!!! :)


	31. Chapter 31

Hey guys! So, here it is, the epilogue... it's a lot shorter than an actual chapter (about 1/3 the length) but I figured that since it was the epilogue and the end of this story, that would be okay. I hope you guys think so too and don't feel jipped by the shortness of this chapter...

Okay, time for a massive **THANK YOU!!!** to everyone who read this story, seriously, you guys have no idea how much I enjoyed writing this and a good chunk of that was because I knew other people were out there reading it and enjoying it too so THANKS a billion times over to anyone who sent me a review, marked the story (or me) as a favorite, put it on your alerts, or just read it silently! All of you seriously rock and made this be a really fun experience for me (despite the seriousness of the story matter)! I really appreciate everyone's support throughout this story and I hope you will like the way it is concluded and will let me know your thoughts on this final chapter. Thanks again for everything and I hope to *see* all of you for the 3rd story, 'Family Matters' which I think I will try to post the first chapter of in a couple of weeks.

Alright, enjoy! :)

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TWO WEEKS LATER

Dean smiled as Sam lead Ace out to the backyard to do his morning business and then walked back into the kitchen to take a seat at the kitchen table. He smiled, trying to keep the shock off of his face when he realized that his brother was wearing both a short sleeve shirt and a pair of shorts. The only time he had ever seen his brother in shorts was when they had gone to the water park and he was amazed that Sam had opted to wear that particular clothing item. He kept silent about it though as the last thing he wanted was to make his brother feel self-conscious when he'd finally managed to crawl out from behind his tendency to hide away and blend in with the shadows. _I'll be damned _he thought as he mentally pumped his fist into the air. Dean walked over to hand his brother his breakfast, smirking to himself. "You got any plans for after school today?" Dean asked as he took his own seat at the table.

Sam shrugged with a non-committed attitude. "Don't really know yet." He answered as he cut into the meat and cheese omelet Dean had made for him. He thought that maybe his group would hang out for a while since it was finally the start of summer… after all, wasn't celebrating the first day of freedom typically what teenagers did when school let out for the year? Freedom… Sam wasn't sure how he was going to handle not having the structured schedule of school to help guide how his time was spent. Did he lock himself back in the house until school started up or was summer more like an extended weekend where it was okay to spend time with both his brother and his friends? And what about Kate… the two of them hadn't gone on an official date, just the two of them to some little restaurant or gone to the movies as Kate had suggested they do yet, and Sam was, admittedly, a bit nervous about just how many of those little outings this summer would bring.

_Three months_ Sam thought, unsure of how this summer would go knowing that last summer, Dean had been the one 'in charge' so to speak, the one coming up with ideas on where to go and what to do as Sam was still working hard to come out of his shell and when he thought about it, he still was. He still had moments where something would trigger a memory of the abuse and neglect and though he wouldn't fall into the mute and dark place where even Dean had a hard time reaching him as much as he used to, his fears and shyness still crept up from time to time. Now though, Sam had his big brother, friends and girlfriend, who he still was in a somewhat shocked state about, to consider too and he wondered briefly if the freedom that summer offered would dampen his newly starting relationships. He really hoped not as he was actually enjoying having friends to call his own. That was all he'd ever really wanted, with being a kid shuffled between different homes and centers with no one who was really his and wanted him, to belong to someone was all he could ever have asked for and now that he had found it... well, Sam wasn't ever going to let go.

That wasn't to say that this whole prospect of belonging to a group of people who were his age and wanted nothing more than to hang out with him wasn't scary because at times, Sam was still downright terrified at what could go wrong if he screwed up. _It isn't up to just me_ he reminded himself, trying to continue to believe that he had the right to protect himself, that if someone wasn't nice or didn't treat him fairly then he could choose not to be friends with them. And that stunned Sam to a certain degree because he'd never had that choice before. When he was little and before Frank, it was simply due to parents and teachers, consciously and unconsciously, teaching their children and Sam's fellow classmates not to interact with the kid who obviously didn't come from the same kind of homes that they did. And then later, it had been Frank being the one to decide who Sam could 'hang out' with and hadn't that worked out excellently? But now, it was up to him. Now, he had a say in who he surrounded himself with… it was his choice and sure other people could offer their opinions on what he should do and God, did he love having his big brother to turn to but when it really came down to it, Sam was the one with the last say.

Dean nodded. "Well, just let me know, 'kay?" He asked as he liked to know where Sam was whenever he wasn't in Dean's sight. He guessed a part of him was paranoid but he thought that with having an unknown number of Sam's potential rapists and attackers still out in the general public, he was allowed to be a more cautious and protective than other big brothers might be. "Sam?" He repeated when his brother didn't answer him. He looked up to see Sam staring out towards the direction of the front of the house, seemingly lost in thought. Dean was relieved though to see instead of fear and worry etched on his brother's face, there was a sense of peace and calm. The kid looked happy.

_Things are going to be okay _he thought to himself as he watched his brother. He knew that there would probably always be some struggle for them to get through but that was what life was, wasn't it? A struggle to get to the good stuff and Dean knew without a shadow of a doubt that his kid brother was going to beat absolutely any struggle that came his way… Sam was a fighter and one tough cookie that didn't crumble easily. That had been proven time and time again, not just in the past two years but throughout Sam's entire life. And besides, he now had his awesome big brother who swore to kick anyone's ass who messed with the younger brother. Both Sam and Dean were brought out of their thoughts when they heard someone knocking on the front door.

Sam quickly finished his breakfast as Dean stood and answered the door. "Hey guys, come on in." He said, inviting Sam's three friends into the house.

A moment later, Sam walked out into the front hall with his backpack slung over his shoulder. He smiled when he saw Bobby, James, and Kate talking with Dean as they waited for him. He knew that his friends didn't have to do this; they didn't have to come pick him up every morning just so he wouldn't have to walk into school by himself but they did and Sam was beginning to understand why. It was the same reason why they had come to see him after Ryan and Zack had pulled that prank or why they had left the card and Christmas present for him after he'd had his first surgery done… it was because they cared. They cared about him, not what condition his clothes were in and what their parents said about people of 'his status' but him… his wants and dreams and nothing else, just like Dean did. To them, as he was to Dean and their friends, he was just Sam and that was really all he had ever wanted to be.

Dean silently observed his brother's interaction with Kate, watching as how the two shy teenagers flashed each other sweet smiles before Kate finally walked over to Sam and took his hand in hers. Sam had hung out with Kate only a few more times since the two had become an official couple two weeks ago though it had only been at their house. Sam was a bit nervous about meeting Kate's parents for a second time with his new position of being their daughter's boyfriend despite both Dean and Kate constantly telling him that her parents were aware of the fact that the two of them were dating and seemed to be alright with it. Hell, Dean was pretty sure that out of the two sets of parents, he was the more nervous one because even though Kate seemed like a sweet girl and he doubted she would ever do anything to intentionally hurt Sam, he worried about how his kid brother would react to normal things that all couples went through. On the other hand, he couldn't help but be proud of his brother for taking a chance on starting a relationship with someone that was more than friends and certainly different than their brotherly connection, even after all the hurt Sam had experienced. "Go have a good day last day, alright?" He said after he'd glanced at his watch and realized that if the group didn't want to be late, then they had better get a move on.

Sam smiled as he nodded. "Yeah, I will." He replied, having the most amount of confidence in his voice that Dean had ever heard.

Sam couldn't believe that the long and rather tumultuous year was over with or that he had stuck it out. He remembered wanting to quit and just going back to being tutored by Mike until he could get his high school diploma at the start of the year before Ryan and Zack had been expelled or the terror that the attack at the diner had caused and his subsequent hiding. Yeah, this may not have been the smoothest year but as Sam looked around at the people surrounding him, he knew that it was worth it… they worth it and slowly, Dean, James, Bobby, and Kate were teaching him that he could be worth something too. "Bye Dean, I'll see you later." Sam smiled at his brother, his dimples showing.

"Yeah Sammy, I'll see you later." He said, smiling affectionately back at his brother and watching as the small group exited the house minus one member but Dean, really and honestly, liked his brother's group of friends better this way. He knew he could trust the three of them to look out for the kid when he couldn't be around but they had also helped him get through to the kid that protecting yourself wasn't a crime or something done only by 'good' people, everybody had that right.

_He can stand up for himself _Dean thought as he remembered how proud he had felt to finally get to see his brother assert himself. He had gone out to the front office to get some costumer information for the car he was working on when he had noticed his brother sitting on the front steps of the shop. A further look outside had revealed Andy to be standing a few feet away causing the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He didn't trust the kid and had waited by the door, ready to go intervene if needed. He had been taken back when Andy had begun to apologize but as Andy had continued to talk, Dean had felt as if maybe Andy wasn't apologizing for the right reasons. Because yeah sure, the kid had mentioned how he had acted like a jerk and all but he hadn't said anything about hurting Sam and Dean hoped that his brother would realize that. It wasn't that he wanted Sam to hold grudges or become unforgiving to people who genuinely meant their apologies; he just wanted the kid to realize that just because someone said sorry, it didn't mean that he had to accept it and he had been shocked when Sam had told Andy no. As he had watched his brother stand by himself on the steps, he had begun to worry though that maybe Sam would begin to have second-thoughts about not taking Andy's friendship back and he wanted the kid to feel confident in his decision making so he had walked outside and slid an arm around his brother's shoulders, hoping Sam would get just how proud he had made his big brother.

"Yeah, it's gonna be okay." Dean muttered to himself, finally feeling like he could breathe easier for the first time in a while. Seeing his brother surrounded by his friends and the fact that they made him happy enough for his dimples to show up helped to give Dean the confidence that even though this year had been a rough one, Sam still had the strength to fight and Dean knew that as long as his brother was fighting to reclaim his life, he would be right there beside him because without even consciously doing so, Sam had saved Dean from a self-pitying and angry existence and Dean owed it to his kid brother, his hero, to make sure Sam was never sent back to the hell that he had to endure for four years because Dean knew that without Sam, he would surely return to his own lonely hell.

The End

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Hey! So, how was that? Did it sum up everything okay, I hope so. Thanks again so much for reading, I really appreciate all of you taking the time out of your busy schedules to read this :) I hope you'll let me know what you thought of the story's conclusion and I promise I will get started on 'Family Matters' as soon as I can. Thanks again and have a great weekend! :)


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